Bull Over A Barrel
by MKAngelus
Summary: Booth and Brennan go UC as Tony & Roxie in the most unlikely of places, Wyoming. Some buckle bunnies gruesome remains have been discovered on the rodeo circuit and it's up to them to stop the killer...
1. Chapter 1

**Bull over a Barrel**

**Chapter 1 **

"You want me to do what?"

"Agent Booth, you want to re-evaluate that tone?"

"I'm sorry Sir, it's just, you want me to do what?"

"Agent Booth, are you hearing impaired and up until now I've been unaware of this?"

"No Sir, I'm not hearing impaired"-

"Are you refusing this assignment Agent Booth?"

"No Sir, I'm not, but, UC in Wyoming? You've got to be kidding me; there are more people in the Hoover building than the entire state of Wyoming Sir. There's got to be a reason why the Cheyenne field office can't handle this, or someone closer, like from the Billings office, Montana is a hell of a lot closer than Maryland, Sir."

"Agent Booth, did I neglect to mention that you will not be alone in this UC mission?"

"Uh…yes…umm …what Sir?"

"Agent Booth, you are in no position to 'negotiate' which cases you work and which you don't. I've emailed the case file to you and you are to be ready to head to the wild wild West at 0900 hours tomorrow, is that understood?"

"Yes Sir"

"Any other questions Agent Booth?"

"One Sir, who am I to be working with on this assignment? Well Mr. Scallion, I suggest you check your email. Good luck son."

Smiling for the first time since the phone rang Booth said, "thank you Sir"

Booth rolled over and looked at the clock. 6 AM, perfect, he had time to work out, shower, get dressed and go find out what the hell was going on, all before 8AM and the fan blades really got going for the day.

Climbing out of bed, he threw on a pair of sweats; a well worn FBI (female body inspector) T-shirt Hodgins had given him as a joke for his last birthday, his sneakers and a ball cap. This one said, Security on the front in bold yellow script. On the back, it said, "property of The Jerry Springer Show". Also a gag gift from the squints, grabbing a small can of V8, he walked out of his apartment, down the stairs to the still slumbering streets below. Pausing to stretch for a few minutes, he started off at a slow jog. This was his favorite time to run, the streets were empty, the air was cool but not cold, and if he took his time and his favorite route, he'd get to see the sunrise as it came up and over the capital building. Being an ex Army Ranger however, he varied his route almost daily as to not become repetitious.

Swearing softly, he remembered again too late that he was going to strap on the leg weights before starting his jog. It had been nearly a year since his tumor surgery and although he was slowly gaining back the weight that he'd lost, he wanted to start working on more muscle mass. He'd been looking pretty sickly about 6 months after the surgery, everyone had commented on it. He didn't want to tell them all that he'd stopped taking care of himself physically for the first time in years. He was allowing the stress from his job to overcome his natural inclinations. It wasn't that the job itself was stressful, because it was. It was more one of the components of his job that was stressful.

Checking his watch, he'd been running for about 20 minutes now, his partner should be just about ready to start her workout routine as well. Partnered now for about 6 years, they'd really built a rapport that was closer than most marriages. Of course, most marriages also included an element that they had yet to test. Booth reached up and pinched his own ear. It was starting to lose any effect it had once had on his libido. If he didn't make a move and soon, not only was he afraid he'd forget how to use it, but he was worried that he'd miss the opportunity to use it with the one person he desperately wanted to. Slowing, he rounded the one constant part of his run, no matter the route; he always ended up in the same place at almost the same time every morning. Sniper training be dammed, there was no way he was going to miss this. He'd happened upon it on accident one morning about 8 months ago when he'd started running in the mornings before his normal workout. Jogging in place, he waited for the moment, he'd had it timed almost perfectly most mornings, and sure enough, today was no exception.

The auburn hair was pulled back under a baseball cap, tight blue jogging pants, a white tank top and blue zip up hoody, unzipped and white sneakers, all of which were being worn by her. Dr. Temperance Brennan. His 'work' partner, his best friend, and unbeknownst to her but knownst to everyone else on the planet it seemed, the woman he loved. He ducked behind the large elm tree and kept her in sight. She bent completely in half and touched the ground between her feet flat with her palms, yep, there it was, the requisite tightening of his groin, then she bent over one leg, then the other, pulled each up behind her one at a time and then took off at a slow trot. Once she was around the corner, he started to follow her, always staying at least 200 yards behind her, until she crossed over the bridge, and that's where he headed back to his place, and she continued on for another 5 miles.

Bending down to stretch her leg muscles, she glanced between her legs, and yes, there he was again. Every morning now, she secretly smiled, if he knew that she knew that he jogged behind her for a mile or two every morning, he would die a little inside. Priding himself on his stealth, she didn't want to be the one to burst his bubble, but she'd known about him since the first day. Shaking her head at her partner, she started off, unlike him though, she ran with headphones on. Usually she had a lecture from some doctor or another; sometimes she varied it though and listened to an audio book from a doctor or another expert in some kind of 'ology'. Today though, she'd really gone off her norm and was listening to a Canadian rock band Angela had recommended to her. She had really liked the band from the beginning, and had downloaded all of their CD's to her iPod. She liked the way their songs were first legible, too many rock bands anymore all just screamed, and she liked how their songs were all about living life to the fullest.

She'd never been an optimist or pessimist really. Things either were or they weren't. There wasn't a cosmic oneness that explained anything; science was the explanation for everything. However, for all her rationality, her beliefs and her beloved science, there was one thing that she had no explanation for. No matter the sociological experiments she did, the rationalizing of it, nothing gave her the answer that she wanted. She wanted to know WHY she felt like she did when she was around him. Oh, she knew all the normal stuff, her physical reaction was biological, he was an alpha male, she was an alpha female, biologically they were the ones most likely to repopulate the society, they were the ones that society looked to for leaders and answers, etc, etc. However what she didn't know was why when he touched her back helping her through a door, into a car, whatever, she felt safe. Why when he didn't know that she knew he was looking at her did she feel like blushing and giggling? Why did her breasts tighten and her center turn to molten lava when she caught his scent in passing. There were physical and biological urges and all that mumbo jumbo as he would say, and then there was a horny teenager trapped in a mature woman's body, so why couldn't she explain that phenomenon?

Booth continued on his way back to his apartment, the free weights and then the shower were all completed in record time. He took his time drying off, for some reason he didn't like towels except for his hair, so he drip dried while he ate his breakfast, drank the first cup of coffee of the day and then because he never wanted to leave a dirty kitchen just in case he never came home, he tidied up. Deciding on the blue pin stripe, blue vest and grey tie, he got dressed and headed to her house to pick her up. It was just easier, they often spent most of their day together if they had an active case, if they didn't, they still went to lunch and since he felt silly showing up to crime scenes or interrogations in her silver sports car, he drove them everywhere.

She'd run longer than she'd intended and consequently was later than normal getting ready, she'd really gotten into her playlist while running, and before she knew it, 5 miles had turned to 8 and she looked at the sky and the sun was well on its way up the skyline when she'd looked at her watch. Cursing out loud, she turned and ran back to her apartment, running up the stairs instead of waiting on the elevator; she had just jumped into the shower when he knocked.

He knocked on the door and waited for a few seconds before knocking again. She never didn't answer by the second knock, instantly on the alert; he looked closely at the door, no signs of tampering, so he pulled out his key and unlocked the door. Entering, his back to the wall, gun out, finger outside the trigger guard, he silently appraised the empty room and then heard the hiss of the shower. Smiling at himself and wondering when he became so paranoid, he walked down the hall to her room, the door was open slightly and he knocked lightly to let her know he was there. The shower spray and the music pounding from the speakers made his knock virtually useless. He walked in further and the shower stopped, jumping back behind her door to the hall, he knocked louder, "Bones-don't freak out, I'm inside and I'm making coffee."

Smelling his cologne before she saw him as she stepped out of the shower she responded to his atypical greeting, "Why would I freak out because you are making coffee Booth? I assume you know how, you are a fully functioning adult correct?" she wrapped a jumbo towel around herself, and padded into her room. Smiling at him, standing in the doorway with his hand over his eyes, "Well, I didn't want you to pull out the 'cannon' and start shooting."

"No danger of that here Booth, go ahead and make the coffee, I'll be out in a second, I'm sorry I'm late, my run got away from me."

Thinking of the 'fully functioning' line and seriously doubting it after his draught he told her it was fine, they wouldn't be too late to the mandatory morning briefing.


	2. Chapter 2

**BOAB Chapter 2**

Once Booth and Brennan arrived at the Hoover/Jeffersonian daily briefing they were apprised of current cases and what was going to be happening that day in the both the Medico/Legal lab and the museum proper. Booth excused himself to go get some more coffee and that left Brennan to be bombarded with questions regarding their new assignment.

"You are so lucky! Around all of those big, hunky cowboys-Sweetie you will have to tell me aaaallll about it! Every day! I could go you know, I mean you'll need someone to hang out with, maybe some costume assistance?" Angela was the most enthusiastic and was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Excuse me?" Hodgins said at her cowboy comment.

She paused at the end and winked at him and said, "Yippee ki yay"

He smiled in understanding and filed it away for later, wondering briefly if he could get a cowboy hat on his way home.

"Shhh Ange-Booth doesn't know yet" Brennan said quietly. "He could come back any minute"

Cam piped in, "Oh-can I please be there when he finds out? Can we arrange that? Ange-a PC link up or something?" She was looking back and forth between Brennan and Angela.

"When he finds out what?" Booth asked coming up behind them at the door to her office where they had migrated. Cam had the good grace to blush before she said, "What? Oh I'm sorry-I think I hear my phone ringing" hurrying away she rushed to her office.

Angela and Hodgins also both tried to make themselves invisible as they scooted out of her office.

"Booth-maybe you should go to your office after all? Then maybe lunch at the diner?" Brennan had moved to her desk and was rifling through some files.

"Bones, what do you know about this assignment?"

"Nothing Booth" she answered eyes wide and her features struggling for control.

"Bones-you can't lie what's going on?"

"Booth- I really think you should go read your emails" she had just turned her back to try to hide the smile on her face.

Sipping his coffee, he raised his eyebrows and then said, "Okay Bones-I'll bite I guess, I'll see you at lunch" and he turned to leave the office.

Nodding okay and not looking up he left the Jeffersonian and went to his own office at the Hoover building.

"Brennan- he doesn't know what's going on does he?" Angela said coming back to her office after she saw Booth leave the room. Looking up and smiling slightly, "I think he knows it's in Wyoming." Brennan said sheepishly.

"Does he know you have experience with this?"

"Um no-I don't think that has ever come up before, I mean, we've talked about out pasts and our childhoods, but not really specific things like this."

"Can I please be here when he comes back? Please?" Cam joined that request, "Yes, I'd like that too please."

Brennan looked at her friends and felt both a sense of camaraderie but also a small sense of betrayal-Booth was her best friend aside from Angela and she felt sure she should have given him a heads up before he got to his office.

Suddenly her desk phone rang, she looked at the display and recognized his desk line-looking sheepishly at the girls she reached down and pressed the speakerphone, "Brennan."

"A CLOWN?? I'M GOING TO BE A CLOWN?"Booth's voice exploded out of the phone on her desk. Cam reacted the fastest by closing the outer door to Brennan's office. Angela had the forethought to cover her mouth to try to hide the laugh that barked out of her.

"Well, it's a rodeo clown Booth, not a traditional clown. So, really in all rationality your fear of clowns shouldn't be an issue…anthropologically speaking" Just then Cam and Angela both laughed out loud, no longer able to hold it back, they'd been writing notes back and forth while Brennan tried to explain the difference between clowns to Booth.

"Brennan, take me off of speakerphone" he said, the tone in voice was deadly calm.

"I'm sorry Booth…"and she clicked the phone to the earpiece and told the two girls to get out of her office.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Tell me this is some kind of joke Bones, please" he said heavily into her ear when she'd picked up the handset.

"I'm afraid not Booth, you read the report and the request from the Cheyenne field office."

"They found the partially decomposed body in a barrel on the rodeo grounds, the victim was" she could hear the shuffle of papers, "Elizabeth Simpson, 26, she was a…veterinary assistant specializing in large animals, missing 2 weeks before she was found. I get all of that, it's a standard homicide though, why us?" he asked.

"I think because it's not the first time this has happened Booth, according to the information that I was given, this is the third victim in the past 2 years to be found this way, all three were found stuffed into those barrels, all three after a particular rodeo"

"And in this rodeo, I have to be a clown?"

"Well, not just a clown, it says here in my file that you will also be assisting the roadies with set up and tear down of the venue." She said with a half hidden laugh in her voice. This had to be killing him.

"So, what are we, a loosely committed couple? Engaged to be engaged?" he asked, "What's the plan?"

"Umm…well, actually, we don't know each other. I'm going to be going in to work with the vet as a tech and we're supposed to just casually bump into each other now and again, according to Cullen, they don't want to raise suspicion by bringing the two of us in together, so…"

"Do you know anything about being a vet?"

"Well, I worked for a couple of summers as an assistant when I was younger, before my parents left and then I interned for a vet when I was in college, I think I'll be okay."

"Do you even know how to ride a horse?" he asked, picturing it in his mind.

She was silent for a moment, "Yes, I know how to ride a horse too, I've actually always been quite fond of horses, most young adolescent girls are you know"

"Okay, so saddle up Roxie, I guess I'll meet you there then?" he was disappointed that they wouldn't be sharing the flight, and a little apprehensive that they weren't arriving together period."

"I leave tonight Booth, I'll see you when you get there" she said softly.

"TONIGHT? When?" he stood up behind his desk and started to pace back and forth as far as the phone cord would let him.

"I leave at 7 and arriving around 4 local time, I'll pick up my truck and drive in, do you want me to call you when I get there?" her voice lowered and he sensed that she was trying to appease him somewhat.

Thinking of a million reasons why this job was going to kill him someday, not the least the way he felt about her and how he hated the fact that she was going in alone. "Yeah, call me, I want to know that you are okay" he finally said.

"I'll be fine Booth, you and me, we're a great team and when Tony and Roxie come out, we're even better, listen you better get stuff squared away, I've got some work to do and then I've got to finish packing, I'll call you when I get there okay?" she said.

"Can I take you to the airport?" he asked, desperate to see her before she left.

"Yes that would be acceptable, my place? 5ish?"

"Okay, 5, I'll be there Bones" he said and pushed the disconnect button on the phone while he cradled the handset against his chest. He had a feeling, something he couldn't shake. Normally a UC operation had him energized, he liked being able to fool the bad guys, but this time it felt…off. He hung up the phone and sat back down, his mind whirling through all that he knew about the case and what his gut was telling him.

At 5 o'clock on the dot he arrived at her door and knocked casually. "Come in Booth, I'm almost ready" he heard through the door. Going inside, he saw the mountain of luggage by the entrance and smiled, typical girl, he thought and then all rational thought exited his mind. She walked in and turned to see him in the doorway. She was wearing dark indigo Cruel Girl jeans, brown, scuffed and faded ropers, a white tank top and a short indigo jean jacket. Her hair was in a French braid and soft tendrils of escaped hair grazed her cheeks and forehead. Booth was in shock. He'd seen in her in formal wear, he'd seen her in exercise clothes and pajamas, jeans and a t-shirt, but he'd never seen her like this. She stood at watched him watch her. "Is there something wrong with how I'm dressed Booth?" she asked, looking down at herself.

"Uh no Bones, you…you look good. You really look the part." He said, trying hard to speak with no saliva in his mouth.

"Thank you, I did some googling and this appears to be what most girls on the 'circuit' as it's called wear when they aren't performing, and it appears as though it will be functional for work wear also." She said.

"I think you'll fit in just fine" he said, "Let's get going, we need time to get to the airport" he grabbed a couple of her bags as she grabbed the rest, stopping outside the door, she locked it and then followed him down to the elevator and out to the garage.

Once they arrived at the airport, he helped her get her luggage and things checked and then walked with her to the security checkpoint. She started to put her things down on the scanner when he pulled her aside and out of the line. "Booth, what's going on? I've got to go" she said annoyed.

"I...I know Bones, I just…well, I just wanted to tell you to be careful. My gut is telling me something about this is all wrong…I don't like you going there before me"

"I'll see you tomorrow, we'll meet at the rendezvous spot before you drive in, and I'll be fine Tony" She said, her voice dropping in tone and becoming playful. She reached over and straightened his collar, "I appreciate your concern Booth, I do, but it's a little unfounded, this isn't the first time for either of us, we'll both be fine"

Booth nodded and took her hand, "here, take this, if you wear it I'll know you are okay and things are going smooth without us having to meet up somewhere, if you don't then I will know something is up, okay?" he handed her his cocky belt buckle. "Booth, I can't take this" she said trying to hand it back.

"Bones-don't argue with me, take the damn buckle" he said, staring into her brilliant blue eyes. "Okay, now I really have to go" she said, turning to walk towards the line for security tucking the belt buckle into her carry on as she went.

"One last thing Bones" he said, taking her upper arm in his firm grip.

"What Booth?" she turned and looked at him somewhat irritated.

He leaned over and kissed her cheek and pulled her in close, "Be careful Roxie" he whispered and then turned and walked away.

Brennan stood there and watched him walk away and placed her fingertips on the spot where he'd kissed her, his cheek was rough with beard stubble and when he'd moved away she'd felt the burn of his cheek on hers. Awash with warmth that she wasn't sure she should be feeling, she turned numbly to the line, confused about the rush of feeling that simple kiss and brought up. Going through security she was on auto pilot and when the call to board was announced, she was very glad that she had a place to sit down, and think about what this mission could mean to their partnership and to wonder about that gut feeling of his.


	4. Chapter 4

BOAB 4

Brennan arrived at her pick up destination and met the agents that she would be reporting to while she was there. Always impatient with meeting new people, she was typically brusque and impartial to their instructions. She listened just enough to know that they really had no idea what they were doing and deciding that she was going to take control for sanity's sake, she interrupted what's his name that was talking, "The crime scene? Where is it, where are the photo's from it? The body too, where is that? I'd like to make some sort of determination before I die of old age."

The agent stopped speaking and raising his eyebrows at his partner, simply handed her the file folder he was looking at and let her leaf through it. She was particularly concerned with the manner of disposal and what possible symbolism it could have. She wished Booth was there. She felt uncomfortable without his observations, which was funny because most of the time they were either irrelevant or based solely on his gut reaction. The two agents spoke quietly amongst themselves as she reviewed the file, "I've heard she's a real ball buster" Agent number one said to two, "Yeah, an ice queen, I hope her 'handler' gets here soon. I'm not interested in playing her game any longer than I have to."

"She's hot though, bet that's what keeps him coming back" The two agents laughed and then were interrupted by Brennan, "Gentleman, I'll take these with me, where is the body?"

They explained that the body was being stored in the local morgue and offered to drive her there, "That won't be necessary, I'm perfectly capable I've got GPS installed on the truck you've provided, so I'll be able to find it. Let's get my stuff loaded up and I can get to work. Booth will be here tomorrow, is he meeting you all too?" she wasn't sure how all this was going to go down, she and Booth would be arriving at different times, weren't to acknowledge that they knew each other and yet were still expected to work as a team in discovering what happened to these young women.

"Yes Dr. Brennan, let's get your truck loaded and get you out of here" Agent two agreed. "Agent Booth is meeting with us and we will brief him before he drives in to Cheyenne. However, neither of you are to actively seek each other out" he reiterated her instructions.

"Yes Agent, I can read that here" she responded succinctly, already focusing on what she would encounter at the morgue and dismissing the agents. Shrugging their shoulders, they led her to the truck parked outside. Brand new, it was a silver F250 dually quad cab, custom painted with pale blue flames; it was hooked up to an equally impressive 6 bay horse trailer with matching paint. Both were immaculate, the truck had state of the art sound installed, as well as GPS, onboard internet link and satellite communication. All of which was cleverly integrated into both the dash and the back panel of the truck. Looking it over, she was quite impressed. "Where are the horses?" she asked distractedly, still peering at the file.

"They'll be loaded up while you are at the morgue, I'll follow you over there and meet the rest of our team and we'll get them in the trailer, the information for who you are to meet when you get to the grounds is on the front seat, as well as the directions to your hotel." Accepting the keys, she nodded at them both and got in and started the truck. The powerful V10 engine roared to life and she took a few minutes to acquaint herself with the basic operation of the truck before carefully pulling out of the lot on her way to the morgue. "Whew" the Agent's sighed in unison before going their separate ways to complete her integration into the vet's office.

In the meantime, Booth had left the airport, his thoughts swirling around like they were trapped in a whirlpool. He was worried about her flying without him and then driving into the rodeo grounds, he was worried about the mission itself, the bodies were pretty abused and gruesome and overall, he was worried about his own reaction to her. Temperance Brennan was a powerful force, but when she was Roxie. Ahhh Roxie, she was his wet dream, beautiful, sexy and fearless. He knew that it was just an undercover persona that she adopted when necessary, but watching her perform, he often wondered if that's the person that his Bones became when the lights went down at night. He had also often wondered if he was ever going to grow a sack and find out.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Once he was packed, Booth called Rebecca to talk to Parker. He told him where he would be and that he would call him as often as he could. He reminded him to listen to his mom, eat his vegetables and say his prayers, telling his son he loved him, he hung up and leaned his head back against the couch. He would be leaving for the airport early in the morning and wanted to be prepared for when he landed. Calling the number on his phone, he held his breath until she answered.

"Booth?"

"Angela, listen are you busy?" He asked, hoping she was.

"Nope, what do you need?"

"Can you help me out with something?"

"I thought you'd never ask G-man" she answered flirtatiously. She knew that it was never going to be an issue between them due to the love he had for her best friend, but she also knew that he was a lot of fun to torment.

Sighing he closed his eyes and willed the headache that was developing to go away, "Very funny Ange, can you meet me at the DC mall? I need to get your opinion on some things"

"Sure Booth, I'm on my way, I'll meet you at the fountain in 20 minutes" she said with a smile on her face. She was going to get to help dress a life size Ken doll, it was every girl's dream and she was going to enjoy every minute of it.

Hanging up the phone, Booth grabbed his wallet and keys and left his apartment. Dreading the next couple of hours of shopping, he hated shopping and then the long part of the night where he wondered if Brennan was okay, where she was and what all was going to happen on this mission of theirs.

Brennan drove to the morgue quite easily; there was very little chance of her parking the truck and trailer in the miniscule parking lot, so she opted instead for parking on the street. Jumping down from the truck, she took the case file and her phone and badge and walked into the county morgue office. At the front desk there was a young girl, headphones distracting her from the sound of a person entering and after attempting to catch her attention verbally, Brennan was reduced to smacking the book that lay open in front of the girl. Looking up sharply in surprise, she pulled the headset out, "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you come in" she said.

"Obviously" Brennan commented, "I'm here to see the remains of Elizabeth Simpson, can you point me in the right direction?" She handed the girl her credentials. "Sure, my name is Willow, if you need anything, you can just dial zero on the phone in there, or just holler down the hall." Willow told her getting up and coming around the counter, she was dressed similarly to Brennan and she mentally congratulated herself on her costume. The two of them headed down the short hallway and Willow pushed open the heavy door, revealing a small, but neat room. One autopsy table in the middle, the metal gleaming shallowly in the reflections of the lighted exit sign above the door, Willow flipped the light switch on, the fluorescents began to hum quietly as they warmed up. Brennan moved to the wall of body lockers against the door and finding the one that matched the number on her paperwork, pulled open the door and slid the tray out.

Willow grimaced slightly and said again, "If you need anything, just let me know, I'm down the hall." She turned to leave and was stopped by Brennan's next statement, "She was tortured."

"Excuse me?" Willow said, half in and out of the doorway.

"What? Oh I'm sorry, just talking out loud" Brennan mumbled turning her back on the young red head. Willow shrugged and re-inserted her headphones before heading back down the hall to her book.

Standing by the fountain, Angela was getting noticed by almost everyone that walked by, both male and female. Incredibly beautiful, she was often the object of affection. Waving to Booth when he appeared on the promenade, one woman commented to her companion, "Their children will be incredibly gorgeous."

"How do you know they are a couple?" her friend asked, looking at the two of them.

"Oh, it's obvious, believe me, those two are in love" she said with an arrogant air. The two smiled at the young man and woman as they walked down the stairs towards the inner mall and Angela and Booth smiled back.

"Okay Booth, what do you need help with?" Angela said all business once they were standing in front of the main entrance.

"I need cowboy clothes Angela." He said resignedly.

"Doesn't the bureau outfit you on these crazy little stakeouts?" she asked, inside imagining how hot he would look in cowboy clothes.

"Well yeah, they'll provide what I need for the 'job', but I wanted a couple of other things that I can wear, you know, in case I have to…uh…well that is, I may need to interact with people…and…well…"

"Say no more Booth, you want to look as hot as Brennan did right?" She knew instantly why he asked for her help. It was for the same reason that Brennan had asked her to help get her cowgirl clothes. She wished the two of them would just hurry up and admit what everyone else already knew and get down to the business of making beautiful babies. She wasn't getting any younger and it seemed like her own dream of millions of babies was being put on the back burner. The next best thing was being the best friend in law in her opinion.


	6. Chapter 6

BOAB

Chapter 6

Their first stop was Corral West; just entering the store gave Booth the willies. He was so not into the cowboy culture. The last pair of cowboy boots he'd worn was probably a size 4 and plastic. But, they'd matched the bright red chaps and felt cowboy hat so who was he to complain? Angela wasted no time, and headed straight to the back of the store, staring at the racks of cowboy hats as a bewildered Booth trailed along behind her somewhat reluctantly.

"Ange-I'm sure the bureau will have a hat for me" he started when she interrupted.

"Oh yeah, they'll have one for you, most likely already pre-stained and designed to look like it's not brand spanking new, that's not what you want to wear on a social call Booth."

"How many social calls do you imagine I'm going on Angela?" He asked as he picked up a belt buckle roughly the size of a dinner plate with a bucking horse on it. Turning it over and looking at the price tag, he carefully set the satellite dish back down and walked back to where she was standing.

"Well, I'm sure that there will be a cowboy bar of some sort there, you will most likely integrate yourself in with the other clowns and they will go to this bar, there will probably be sawdust on the floor, a mechanical bull and scantily clad waitresses with ponytails." She told him as she selected a black Stetson and turned it over in her hands, "You will most likely not want to go in your clown outfit, and you will want to fit in, so you will want to wear a non clown like hat."

"How many times can you say clown Angela?" he muttered under his breath when she handed him the hat. "Hey, how did you know what size I wear?" he asked, putting the unshaped hat on.

"Forensic sketch artist, kinda goes with my job description there G-man" she said absently as she'd already decided the Stetson did not convey what she was trying to convey. Snatching it off of his head less than gently, she put it back on the wall. Booth winced as he rubbed his head and wandered over to the selection of bolo ties. _These are just plain hideous_, he thought to himself when a sales clerk came over and asked if he needed help, turning towards her voice, he was surprised to see that she was dressed almost identically to the way that Brennan was when she'd left. The girls' eyes widened as she took in the tall, handsome man so obviously out of his element, "Do you need some help hon?" she asked, smacking her gum.

Angela, having chosen the next hat she wanted him to try, walked up behind him and linked her arms in his; "No thanks Hon, if we do we'll come find you okay?" and she tugged Booth back to the wall of hats.

"Watch it Booth-no fair wasting those devastating good looks on a salesclerk, save them for the big guns out in the wild west, now, try this one," She handed him the George Strait Resistol she was holding, putting it on, he turned to look at her, one eyebrow raised.

"Perfect" She said.

"I agree" breathed the salesclerk before meandering away to straighten a rack of ladies shirts.

Booth grimaced and looked in the mirror, surprised at the image that looked back. The hat was dark brown felt and had a slim tan leather band. He took it off and started to bend the brim slightly when Angela took it away from him and said, "Let the professionals do that," she sat the hat on the counter behind them and headed to the boots.

"What size Booth? 10 and a half, 11?" she asked, looking over the immense selection of Dingo's, Ariats, Justins, and Double H boots.

"Uh, 10 and a half" he said coming up behind her, "I'll need boots too? I have work boots, won't those work?" he asked as she pointed to a chair. Giving him a withering glance, she sighed and said, "Do you want my help or not Agent Booth?"

"I want your help, but I don't want to look like an extra from Urban Cowboy while I'm there" he said petulantly.

"Repeat after me; Help me Angela, I trust you Angela, I'll buy you something pretty to thank you Angela" she said, one hand on her hip as she looked down at him.

Deciding that it was going to be easier if he just let her turn him into a life size Ken doll he said, "Help me Angela, I trust you Angela and I'll buy you something pretty Angela."

Satisfied, she smirked at him and went back to looking at the boots. Another clerk came up and asked if they needed any help, this time, Angela looked up into the greenest eyes she'd ever seen. Standing at least 6 feet 2 inches or more, he was broad in the shoulder and narrow in the hip, dark blonde hair and a strong chiseled jaw sealed the deal. "Um yes, my brother, he needs help with boots" she stammered pointing to Booth.

Scowling Booth mumbled, "Oh now I'm her brother, because the cute girl clerk wasn't good enough, but now with male model number one, I'm the brother."

She tapped him on the head and stood behind him, "He'd like to see something dressy casual please…John," She said reading his name tag and winking. John blushed slightly and nodded, looking over the boots on display, he chose a pair of dark brown Justin boots, square toe and low heel, they had tan stitching and were just right for the look she had in mind. She encouraged Booth to take his shoes off and try them on.

Surprised at how well they fit, he walked around the little area and got used to the feel of something other than loafers and sneakers on his feet. He looked at Angela and said, "How do they look Ange?"

"Well, with those jeans, they look totally ridiculous, but with the right pair of nut huggers you'll be just fine." She said, already looking around the room towards the clothes.

Coughing, Booth said, "Nut huggers?"

John turned to him and said, "she just meant a tighter cut of jeans, the girls like to see your…uh…well…they just like tight jeans." He finished lamely. Angela smirked and asked John to box the boots up, and then deciding that Corral West just didn't have the clothes she was looking for, she also asked him to shape the hat. John and Angela walked over to where the hat was sitting on the counter and he turned on the steam machine. Booth followed more out of morbid curiosity than anything. John had him put the hat on and then taking it off, placed it on the steam machine and began to shape the brim accordingly. After a few minor adjustments, he handed it to Booth, who just looked at it.

"Uh, can I get a bag?" he asked.

"You'll want to keep that in a box to avoid losing the crease and so it doesn't get smashed, Sir." John said as he grabbed a hat box from the top shelf and handed it to him to put the hat into. Booth reluctantly stored the hat and turned to Angela, "Are we done?" he whined.

"Not even close oh brother of mine," she said as she and John chatted casually up to the front counter. Booth followed like a sullen child and desperately wished he'd not had the bright idea to let Angela dress him up. After paying for the hat and boots, which he felt was entirely too expensive, he and Angela left the store, "What else do we need to get?" he asked as she tucked a piece of paper into her purse, "What's that?"

"That, G-man was a phone number of one John Tyree," she said scanning the storefronts for her next venue. "What about Jack?" Booth asked, really afraid to open that particular can of worms.

"Well, I'll give it to him, but I think John may wonder a bit if Jack calls him," she said as she pulled him into the Sheplers store. This store was twice the size of the previous one, so consequently when they entered they were anonymous, but only briefly. A cute little blonde girl at the front counter quickly recounted the 'secret hot guy code' to the other sales clerks on her headset. Instantly, 10 cowboy lovin' girls were up at the front desperately trying to look busy as Booth and Angela meandered through the racks of button down shirts, loud patterns and garish colors abundant yet somehow soothing. She pulled a handful of shirts off the racks as she wandered and he cringed when he saw the lavender one enter the pile.

"Go over there to that wall of Wranglers' and pick out a few pairs in all colors" She said, absently pointing to the back wall. Booth said sarcastically, "Um, please?" as he did what he was told to do.

"Please Booth" she said right back with a smile. Gathering up the shirts she took them to an empty changing room and hung them up, back out onto the floor, she went over to the dress clothes section and found a tan suit jacket that would look spectacular with the brown hat and boots, she kept searching until she found a dark blue button down shirt to go under it and then went back to the changing room that Booth was standing passively in front of, his arms loaded with jeans of all colors.

She looked at the stack, immediately pulled the white ones out and raised her eyebrow at him, "What is this 1985?" she asked, putting them down on a counter. She also took the indigo ones out, leaving him with a pair of light and dark blue as well as a pair of black. "Okay, try those on with this shirt" she said handing him the lavender shirt and dark blue jeans. He raised his eyebrow and started to protest and she held up her hand and said, "Do it Booth, trust me."

Shaking his head but trusting the eccentric artist he'd come to love like a sister, he went in and changed his clothes. After a few minutes of staring at himself in the mirror, he came out and raised his hands, "Well?"

Assorted female sighs assured him that he was doing just fine as he blushed slightly at the ring of women that had suddenly appeared. Angela turned and rolled her eyes, indicating with her finger that he should turn around he spun slowly in place. "Tuck the shirt in Booth" she said, as he did, she asked, "Where's your belt buckle?"

"I gave it to Brennan to wear while we are there" he said as he looked to make sure his button line was straight. "Much better, now turn" she said. Again he turned and she said, "Okay, those work, now the light ones with this blue shirt and then again with this black shirt" and she handed them to him.

After trying various combinations, Booth and Angela agreed on the jeans and 5 shirts, "That should be enough to keep you in rotation anyway, you'll most likely wear t-shirts most of the time anyway" she said as she looked over everything to make sure they had what she wanted. "So we can go? I still have to pack I'm leaving in the morning."

"Yes, we can go, one more stop on the way home and then you can pack and I can relax" she said helping to carry his clothes to the counter. He paid and they left, the clerks all gathered to discuss the handsome man and how good he had looked left behind in their wake.

"What's the last stop?" he asked his hands full of his new 'duds'.

"Hmmm?" she responded, once again scanning the storefronts.

"Where are we going?"

"Booth, don't make me turn this car around" she said finally spying the store she was looking for.

Merlin's Attic was densely packed with everything from a stuffed parrot by the door that repeated the same phrase 'walk the plank Mateys', over and over, a Chinese dragon kite hanging the full length of the ceiling, to a full size Buddha statue and tons of other knick knacks and goodies tucked everywhere. Booth was overwhelmed, but Angela seemed to know exactly where she was going. Heading to a small table in the back, she began to paw through a box that contained…belt buckles. Hundreds of them from what he could see over her shoulder. Finally finding exactly what she wanted, she tucked a couple of them into her hand and strode to the counter, "What do they say?" he asked bringing up the rear.

"You'll see" she said flirtatiously over her shoulder. In the shuffle to pay and get out of the now suddenly too small store and all of their bags, he let the answer slide. Once they got to his house, Angela followed him upstairs and proceeded to label the clothes how and when they should be worn. "Ange-I'm almost 40 years old, I'm pretty sure I can dress myself." He said watching her mix and match and write down combinations.

"Booth, I'm only going to say this once. You've had almost 6 years to make this happen and you've gotten nowhere, now we all know what should happen but it's not. So, let me make some decisions for you and see if we can't get this ball rolling a bit okay?"

"What ball? Rolling where?" he said, already knowing the answer, was he that obvious?

"The Booth and Brennan ball, you're in love with her, she's in love with you, neither one of you have the cojones to say anything to each other and frankly the rest of us are tired of watching this high school drama of 'will they won't they' that you've subjected us to."

He interrupted, "We're going to be on a case Angela, just what do you think I'm going to be able to do while covered in 6 pounds of white grease paint and torn clothes? It's work."

"Well Booth if you can't work a little magic into that work than you aren't the man I want for my best friend after all." She said turning towards him, her hands on her hips, "Now, hand me that bag." She said pointing to the bag she'd carried out of Merlin's.

Dumping the contents into her hand, she tucked one into a pocket of two of the pairs of jeans and told him he'd better wear them. Kissing his cheek, she wished him luck and told him to have Brennan call her when he saw her, assuring her he would, he kissed her back and thanked her for her help. "It was nothing Booth, have fun." She waved and left his apartment.

The door had barely closed before he reached into the pockets and pulled out the two silver plated belt buckles. Reading what they said on them, he flopped onto his bed, one arm over his eyes. "I'm doomed." He said out loud as he sat back up and stared at the belt buckles, 'Save a horse, ride a Cowboy' and 'Mount Up' stared back at him…


	7. Chapter 7

**BOAB **

**Chapter 7**

Brennan left the morgue after thanking Willow and was heading outside when she saw the other two agents pull in with a horse trailer of their own. She stowed her gear in the truck and walked to where they had stopped. Agent One got out and said, "Dr. Brennan, we have your horses here, we'd like to get them loaded up and then we're heading back to our cabin, I have the directions to your cabin as well."

"When do you expect Agent Booth to arrive?" She asked him walking towards the rear of the trailer.

"Agent Booth should be arriving sometime tomorrow around 1 or so, will you go to the vets office tonight?" Agent Two responded.

"No, I think I will get settled in at my cabin and look over some paperwork, then I will head over there in the morning, do you need any help getting the horses loaded up?" She was slightly apprehensive; it had been sometime since she was around unknown horses on a regular basis. She rode in Maryland once a twice a month or so at a boarding ranch outside of DC. Although a competent rider, she still felt a little unsure around horses that she wasn't familiar with.

"I think we'll be able to manage," Agent One said, unlatching the latch on the back of the trailer. She looked inside and saw three horses inside the trailer, stamping and restless, they were anxious to be out of the trailer themselves.

Agent Two swung the gate open and stepped inside the trailer, Agent One pulled the ramp down and stepped aside as Agent Two began to back the first horse out. A tall lanky grey he stepped back and down the ramp perfectly, softly nickering at the other two, Agent One took the lead rope from the other agent and walked the grey gelding out and away from the trailer. Brennan was impressed, he was very calm which went a long way towards making her more comfortable. She offered to hold the grey, but Agent One said, "That's okay Dr. Brennan, I'll hold him, maybe you can take her," he said nodding towards the second horse that Agent Two was leading out.

A soft gold Palomino filly appeared, stepping very daintily, she tossed her ivory white mane as she reached the ground. Brennan was instantly in love. She was the color of bleached wheat, small features, compact and simply breathtaking. "She's lovely" she said admiring the pretty horse as Agent One handed her the reins, before he stepped back inside.

Agent Two said, "These two are relatively easy to handle, you shouldn't have any problems at all with any of them, if you do it will most likely be with Wrath. He's a little temperamental in new situations. Don't turn your back on him."

"Why would you provide a horse that has temperament issues?" She questioned, twisting to watch the third horse unload.

"He's a rescue horse, he came from an abandoned farm and is people shy, we provided him so that he would get out of the barn somewhat, he's pretty unsure about social situations and the bureau thought that if he was on this case he would get some much needed social interaction, otherwise, he's headed to glue factory if we can't get him rehabilitated."

She nodded and watched Agent One back the third horse out. Sixteen and a half hands tall, he was a deep chested bay, so dark as to appear black until the last of the setting sun landed on his coat and he lit up. His mane and tail were long and full; he tossed his head and whinnied loudly once his hooves reached the solid ground. Agent One was having a difficult time holding him down, his head tosses were becoming more and more aggressive as was his dancing around in circles. Carefully walking the grey over to Dr. Brennan, Agent Two grabbed his lead as she moved towards the big bay.

Talking quietly, her hand outstretched, she softly spoke soothing words and walked right up to him. Agent One shortened the lead and although Wrath's eye was rolling in fear and frustration, he was fixated on the brunette walking towards him, her hand outstretched. She motioned to the Agent to let her have the lead and he did reluctantly. Once she had it in her hand, she pulled the horse towards her somewhat and patted his long neck. He stood shaking and began to dance slightly as her hand rubbed up and over his neck to his cheek and nose. Yet, he seemed to understand that she wouldn't hurt him, so although they were both apprehensive, he stood as still as he could.

She smiled at him and whispered, "You're a good boy aren't you? It's okay, I've been there, you'll be okay, I promise." At her whispered words, he seemed to calm down even further and allowed her to run her hand across his back, down towards his powerful forelegs and back up his neck. "Good Wrath, good boy" she said.

Taking his lead, she walked towards her own trailer and Agent One opened the side gate, which would allow her to lead the horses in so that she didn't have to back them out when she got to her place.

"Dr. Brennan, I would recommend always opening the rear gate so you have an escape when you load him in, he's a little wary of trailers." Agent Two said following her with the other two horses.

Agent One did just that as she lead the big gelding into the trailer, talking softly to him the whole way, he loaded right up and stood patiently waiting while she exited the man door. Agent Two loaded up the grey as Agent One took the lead of the filly, and then loaded her up.

"They are simply beautiful" she said, looking over the horses that would be her responsibility for as long as this case took. She'd not had anyone but herself to look after for so long she was a little daunted by the task before her, but glad of the challenge. "What's the name of the grey?" she asked, reaching to pat his nose between the bars.

"Fury" Agent One said, "And the palomino is called Charcoal."

"Fury, Wrath and Charcoal" she repeated, "interesting names, did they all come from the same abandoned farm?"

"No, just Wrath, the other two are the property of the FBI Cheyenne field office, they get used by all the agents, we take them to children's events, and they're very gentle and are used to all levels of riders. I would suggest riding them and just leading Wrath, we just want him to get acclimated with more horses, we've only had him a short time, he was in a foster situation on a local ranch, but after lashing out and breaking one ranch hand's arm and kicking one of their horses, we were forced to take him out. Unfortunately we can't do anything with him as far as disposable until the animal cruelty case comes to a close with the owner of the farm where he was found."

Nodding along to what he was saying she couldn't help but think of distinct parallels in their lives. She turned to the agents, "Thank you both for assisting me, I assume that Booth will be in touch with you when he gets in?"

"Yes Dr. Brennan, he is to meet up with us, and then we'll send him to rendezvous at the rodeo grounds, I'm sure he'll contact you when he can to at least let you know he is here, although he is not to contact you for any other reason." He reiterated their directive.

"Thank you Agent One, I'll make sure to avoid contact with him unless absolutely necessary." She made sure all the gates were latched tight and shook their hands before getting into her truck to head to the cabin she'd be staying at.

She started the truck and Agent One waved as she drove towards the highway. "How long before they hook up?" he asked out the side of his mouth. Their partnership was no secret to most offices, even way out in the boonies like theirs. There were betting pools all over the bureau to see when the two most successful partners would take it to the next level. No one believed that they could be just friends and work partners.

"I dunno man, I'm in for a week, what do you think?"

"Hell, I wouldn't last a day, she's pretty hot." He laughed and said, "But, she's way too smart for me!"

The two agents laughed together and then got into their truck and headed back to their cabin.

Brennan headed down county route 12 about 15 miles before turning onto a wide dirt road, heading towards the large trees that surrounded the road, she drove slowly and carefully, not wanting to upset her charges on the unfamiliar road. After about a mile, she saw the cabin she was to be staying out. It was a single story with a large wraparound porch, rocking chairs on the porch and a large parking area directly in front of the cabin. Beyond the cabin, she followed the road to the white barn, a large fenced paddock extended out from the barn, down a slight grade and seemed to end about a hundred yards beyond the pine tree fence line. She pulled the truck to a stop and got out to go inside the barn and evaluate what supplies were available.

She entered and turned on the light, the inside of the barn was designed with horses in mind, large stalls close together with sliding gates, each one had exterior access to the paddock, yet were independent so all the horses wouldn't go out at once if not able to. Across the back, the hay was stacked from floor to ceiling, stall cleaning supplies lined yet another wall, including a small bobcat to move the larger piles of refuse out to the compost pile outside beyond the rear of the barn. A small tack room had multiple saddles and bridles hanging and stored, everything looked freshly oiled and was in good repair. There was even a small room with a bed, refrigerator and bathroom attached. She inferred that this is where the stable help may stay when the barn was actually in use.

Deciding that everything was in perfect order, she made herself familiar with the gate locking mechanisms and then started to go to the trailer. She unlocked the man gate like the Agent had asked her to do, although, the way her trailer was configured she only needed to do that when she was loading not unloading. She decided to take Wrath out first, as he was going to be the harder one to handle.

She unhooked his lead from the trailer latch and whispered to him again, "Come on big fella, let's go on out, come on…that's it..." he stepped out hesitantly, blowing loudly, his body quivering again from the new atmosphere. Once he was out, he stood stock still and tossed his head slightly, smelling all the new scents, he began to get agitated, but Brennan stood firm, "Come on, it's okay…it's all new to me too…we'll figure it out together, come on Wrath, let's go." She kept softly chanting, and the horse seemed to absorb her gentle chatter as she began to lead him towards the first stall. She led him in and released his lead rope, but leaving the halter on. He sniffed the straw on the floor and slowly wandered around the edges of the stall, eventually ending up with his head over the low dividing wall between him and the paddock, his ears pricked forward and his nose twitching.

She backed out of the stall and latched it securely and stood watching him. He was very proud, she mused to herself. Turning to leave, she heard him stamp his foot and then an angry snort, looking back over her shoulder; he'd moved to the opening of the stall and was watching her. She smiled and patted his nose, "I'll be back, I'm not leaving you" she said rubbing his nose. Seeming satisfied, he turned back to the paddock as she made her way back to the trailer.

Unloading Fury and Charcoal was uneventful, she thought she would be able to handle the two of them fairly easily as a team. Leading them into their individual stalls she was struck at the simplicity of this life. She'd never thought that this would be in any way remotely fun, but despite the reason she was here, and the long day she'd already put in, she was at peace. She filled their individual oat buckets and wished them all a good night, it was almost midnight here, and as her body was still on her time zone, if she wanted to be on her game tomorrow, she needed to get some sleep.

She locked the gates on the trailer and decided she'd unhitch it in the morning, so turning the truck around in the large parking area; she drove back towards the cabin and parked beside the house. She entered through the side door and looked for the lights, turning them on she was pleased to see that the inside was just as neat and tidy as the barn had been. She'd entered through the kitchen, and after going back to the truck to get her things and locking it, she put everything right inside the doorway. First thing, she was going to pee, change her clothes, and grab a piece of toast and then crash.

Turning on the lights as she went, she walked through the house, the hardwood floors gleaming up at her, the house was tastefully decorated in a southwestern theme, nothing pretentious, the furniture was practical and sturdy, but there were decorative touches her and there. She wandered through the living room to the hallway where the bedrooms and bathroom branched off. The master had a large king sized bed with hand carved knotty pine bedposts. The matching dresser and nightstands gave the room a decidedly masculine feel, but the turquoise and chocolate comforter and curtains softened the room slightly. There was a large walk in shower and sunken tub in the master bath and although a hot bath sounded very appealing, she opted instead for simply washing her face.

She pulled her bags in the room and began rummaging for a sleep shirt. Finding her favorite, well actually, his favorite, she changed quickly and decided that toast was too much effort. She was ready for bed inside of five minutes, she set the bedside alarm and crawling into the large bed, she was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

~Meanwhile~

Booth had once again checked to make sure that all of his bags were ready and waiting by the door, he'd arranged a ride to the airport with Jack in the morning and was just trying to kill time before leaving. He should go to sleep, he knew with almost 100% certainty that he wouldn't have a bed nearly as comfortable as his while he was gone. He was too keyed up to sleep though. Tomorrow his UC case would begin, and he was anxious for tomorrow to be here. He decided to look through the case files again to see what he could see. Grabbing a beer and opening his laptop, he scrolled through the preliminaries but soon found his mind wandering. He wondered if she'd made it there okay. She didn't call him and the other agents hadn't either, so he had to assume she had. Just to be sure however, he called her phone, it rang immediately to voicemail. He listened to her awkward message and smiled, "Hey Bones, I was just checking in, I'll call you when I arrive tomorrow. I hope you are okay." hanging up, he sat and stared at the phone.

He wondered where she was staying, was she wondering about him too? Shaking his head he knew that wasn't the case, she was perfectly happy being his 'work partner', and although he wanted more, he'd wait. He had to. Sighing, he reached behind him and rested his hands on the back of his head, "Come on Seeley, let's get your game face on" he admonished himself. Deciding that he'd try to sleep after all, he went to his bedroom and began to get ready for bed himself, he pulled off his t-shirt, shucked his jeans and crawled into bed. Lying there, he stared at the ceiling and imagined she was here, they were anyone else but an FBI agent and doctor of Anthropology and they could be who they were meant to be.


	8. Chapter 8

***Just a heads up, as in past fiction, some of the chapters are going to be filler chapters, scene set ups, etc…MK***

**BOAB **

**Chapter 8**

Early the next morning Booth woke up early and went on his run. He remembered the weights this time and kept right on going when he was past her place. He got back to his apartment sooner than he normally did, so he did an extra round of weights. Once he was showered and shaved, he ate and waited impatiently for Jack to take him to the airport. It was still only 6 am in Wyoming, so he really didn't expect to have a call from her yet, but he was hopeful when he looked at his phone. Nothing. Sighing, he put it in his pocket and picked up his paperwork. He looked over whom he was to meet and the items he was going to be picking up. The doorbell rang and he hurried to open it. Jack was standing there with a cup of coffee for each of them, his normally unruly hair hidden under an army green watch cap and a heavy denim jacket on.

"Come on man, let's get you on your way to cowboy country." He said with a smirk. Angela had told him all about the clothes that she'd helped him buy. Picking up the hatbox, he said "Howdy pardner'" and laughed. "Keep it up Hodgins and I won't let Brennan send you any really good cow crap to sift through" Booth said through his teeth. He'd been a lot of things while UC and he'd never expected to be a clown, let alone a rodeo clown.

Hodgins feigned a hurt expression and grabbed a couple of other bags and headed down the hall to the stairwell of Booth's building. Luckily he was driving Booth's Sequoia to the airport, because there was no way they were going to get all that stuff into his Mini.

Once they arrived at the airport Booth went through the special check in line for law enforcement and showed his credentials to the bored clerk behind the counter. Jack bid him farewell and headed back to Booth's place to pick up his own car. Booth boarded the plane and looked at his phone, still nothing. He was beginning to get a little disappointed but knew that Bones was going to follow her instructions to the letter; he could only imagine how she was going to play the part of Roxie this time.

Brennan woke up with the alarm and looked around the unfamiliar room. The sun's rays were barely starting to pierce the blinds on the windows and she could hear birds chirping right outside the window. So different from waking up in her apartment, she lay back and just absorbed the feeling of space that seemed to envelope her the moment she got to the cabin. She got out of bed and walked to window, opening the blinds she was pleased to see that her bedroom faced the barn and all three horses were standing at the back of their stalls, looking towards the large paddock. Wrath shook his head and turned to look at the house. Although she knew it wasn't possible, it felt as if he was looking for her.

She showered quickly and changed into well worn jeans, boots a halter top and a Toby Keith hoody. She grabbed a couple of granola bars from her bag and mentally reminded herself to stop at the grocery store as soon as she had a free moment. Booth would be arriving today and although they weren't supposed to meet up, they were going to try to communicate before they got going on the case itself. She wanted to be able to tell him what she was able to find out from Elizabeth's body. She grabbed her phone and headed to the barn, looking down she saw that she had a missed call from him and a voicemail, listening to it she smiled. She texted him back that she was here and would see him when he got in.

She hurried to the barn and flipping on the lights, she was happy to be greeted by Fury and Charcoal. Both of them came to the inner gate and stuck their noses through, she passed by Wrath's stall and patted them both on the nose. Wrath was pretending to ignore her, although he had his ears cocked towards her and seemed to be tracking her movements. She decided she'd play along, he'd get used to her or he wouldn't, she wasn't going to make him like her.

Brennan entered Charcoal's stall and opened the paddock gate, allowing her to wander out while she quickly cleaned her stall and filled her oat bucket. Taking time to add some hay to the bin separating her and Fury's stall she also checked their auto-waterer and made sure that it was on. She let herself out of her stall and moved into Fury's to repeat her actions with him. Normally she would have run first thing, but she found that by looking after the horses was giving her quite a workout in itself. Fury trotted out and stood just under the overhang on the back of the stalls and watched the world around him.

Letting herself into Wraths' stall, she was only slightly nervous; he stamped and tossed his head as he backed into the corner. Snorting and blowing he made it clear that he didn't want her to come any closer than she had to. She reached over and opened the gate and he exploded out of the stall as if shot from a gun. He tore off across the paddock at full force, his body made for speed, muscles bunching at his giant stride, his tail streaming behind him he ran to the edge and turned quickly, following the fence line. Charcoal was casually grazing and looked up once, watched him momentarily then dismissed him as if to say, "Let it out young fella."

Wrath bucked and snorted, pranced and ran intermittently causing Brennan to laugh out loud at his antics, she paused in cleaning his stall and leaned on the shovel watching him cavort. Eventually he trotted back to the barn and although he didn't let her touch him, he did allow her to get close enough to feel the heat rising from his body. She wasn't sure whether to leave them in the paddock or not while she was gone, so to be on the safe side, she decided she would put them back in the stall for today and tonight she would walk the fence line to see if they could be left out while she was gone.

Fury and Charcoal readily entered their stalls when she rattled the oat buckets. Securing them, she tried to entice Wrath in to his stall with the same technique and he just ignored her. She held out hay to him with no response. Feeling frustrated and knowing that she still had to unhitch the trailer and get to the vet's office, she wasn't as amused by him as before. Just when she was about to try her cowgirl roping skills as a last resort, she remembered a movie that she and Parker had watched when he'd come to the lab when he was home sick from school. The girl in the movie had gotten the horse into the stall by ignoring him.

She went inside his stall and made sure the inside gate was latched securely. Then she took a granola bar from her pocket and turned her back to him. As he'd been watching her all along, but still ignoring her his curiosity got the better of him and he slowly walked in. Stopping every other step or so to stretch his nose towards her. His long neck brought him fairly close, and every time she thought he was too close, she would turn so that her back was always to him. An eternity later, or so it seemed, she felt his hot breath on her back and could feel that he was trying to see what she was holding in her hand. Reaching his long neck around her he pressed his nose in her hand. She allowed him to have some of the granola bar as she reached behind her and shut the gate. Quickly exiting through the front, she gave him the rest of the bar and patted his nose. "You owe me breakfast big guy," she said to him as he nuzzled the remaining crumbs from her hand. Thinking to herself,_ there's more than one way to trim a cat_, "Okay you three, I'll be back sometime tonight, please be good." She said to them as she headed back to the truck to unhitch the trailer and get to the vet's office.

Unhitching the trailer turned out to be surprisingly easy. It was all electric and hydraulic, all she had to do was unplug the lights and the rest was done with the push of a button. Nodding her head and dusting off her hands, she felt empowered. It wasn't often that she was in a position like this, she enjoyed working with her hands and this was so much more than just using her mind. She went inside, grabbed her bag and checked the directions to the vet's office, loaded them into her GPS and pulled out onto the lane. Turning the radio on, she scanned through the stations until she found the local country station, not a country music fan by any stretch of the imagination, she felt that she would need to socialize at some point and most likely she'd be exposed to it at one time or another, so she should get a head start. The DJ announced the weather expectations for the day gave a brief newscast and then reminded everyone not to forget to buy their tickets to the big rodeo in two weeks. He told them the ticket locations and that there was sure to be something for every cowboy and cowgirl in the area. Brennan thought he might just be right, especially if they were able to catch the bastard that was torturing and stuffing young girls into barrels. The DJ segued into the next song and she found herself actually enjoying the young, soulful voice of the songstress singing of a temporary home.

She quickly arrived at the vet's office and pulled the truck into the back lot as directed by the sign saying, 'employee parking only'. She was gratified to see that she wasn't the only one driving a large truck, almost every vehicle in here was a truck of some kind. A converted ranch style home, the office was flanked by two large outbuildings, and an open face equipment shed. There was a pasture behind one of the buildings and a dozen chain link kennels extended from the side of the building. Grabbing her bag, she stepped down from the truck, took off her hoody, adjusted her bra and put a swing into her hips. "Okay Roxie, let's see what you got," she said under her breath as she walked towards the entrance of the office. Just as she got close to the shed she heard a deep voice mutter, "Just stand still, I'm tired of playing games, either you let me touch you willingly or I'm going to tie you to the fence and do this the hard way."

Afraid, she reached into her bag and gripped the handle of the .38 she had in there and turning her back to the wall, she began to inch along the wall like she'd seen Booth do. Suddenly she wished he was here right now. She slid into the shed and took a deep breath, there was a man standing in front of her, his back to her. Long legs clad in tight denim, his plaid shirt taut across broad shoulders, she thought he must be at least 6'1 or taller, yellow leather gloves jutted from his back pocket and he had his hands outstretched towards the inner shed. "I mean it, I'm not playing around anymore, come over here!" he said a little louder, his deep voice echoing in the small space.

"Don't move." She said sternly, "I've got a gun and I'll use it if I have to."

He put his arms up slightly and said, "Ma'am, I think there's been some sort of mistake here."

"No mistake," Brennan replied, "I heard you threatening someone," she paused and moved slightly to the left, "Whoever is there, you can come out now, he won't hurt you."

"Lady, if you can get her to come to you, I'll let you shoot me" he said with a slight laugh in his voice. Crinkling her brow in confusion, Brennan walked around a little more and saw who, or actually what he'd been talking to. A large brown and black dog was standing about 10 feet in front of him, a baseball cap in her mouth. Putting the safety on and the gun back in her bag, Brennan said, "Okay, you can put your arms down now, I'm sorry, I just thought…"

"That's okay," he interrupted, "I'm sure to you I sounded menacing, to her however, I sound like I want to play, which is simply not the case." He turned around and her eyes widened, he had big, deep-set brown eyes, a strong cranial brow and a strong jaw, he had thick light brown hair that was slightly mussed and slight dimples in his smile. "I'm sorry, normally before a woman holds a gun on me; I have the pleasure of her name…"

Brennan had the good grace to blush; "I'm sorry, I'm Roxie, Roxie Morgan" she extended her hand and walked towards him, "Hi" he said, "I'm your new boss, Dr. Malcolm Reynolds large and small animal veterinarian extraordinaire; it's a pleasure to meet you." They shook hands and the dog came over and nuzzled her leg, speaking out of the side of his mouth he said quietly, "if you could grab that hat it would really mean a lot to me." Carefully she reached down to stroke the dogs head and grabbed the hat quickly and handed it to him, he wiped off the dog drool and put it on his head. Smiling he looked at the dog who had sat on her haunches and was giving them both a big doggy grin, "She loves this hat and although I can diagnose animals, and fix their wounds, I can't train 'em for nothing, Zoe here does whatever she wants whenever and for some reason, she is fixated on this hat. Thank you for getting it back where it belongs," he said, "Let's go in and meet the rest of the staff, what do you say?"

Brennan was absently petting Zoe and nodded along, "That sounds fine to me, bye Zoe" she said. Zoe trotted over to a box in the corner where there were the tell tale signs of puppies, small whimpers and cries came from the box. "See Zoe, you ignored your babies to play your little prank" he said as he started to lead Brennan from the shed, "She has pups?" Brennan asked, "Can I see them?"

Knowing that trying to keep a woman from a box of puppies was as easy as taking a fish for a walk Malcolm smiled and said, "After you," extending his arm. Kneeling by the box Brennan was enthralled, ten little fat black and brown puppies wriggled around and searched for a prime nursing spot and Zoe indulged them, nosing them in closer until they latched on. "What kind are they?" she asked, oohing and ahhing over their little bodies. "On Zoe's side they are Rottweiler's and on their fathers side, they are English Mastiff, so I'm sure they will be large eating machines before too much longer," he sighed, "Like I said, she has a mind of her own, this is her fourth litter and each time I've intended to breed her with anther Rottweiler, however, I've had Rottherds, Rottiemans, and Rollies so far, and now a nice little batch of Rottstiffs." He chuckled and Brennan grinned, turning her attention back to the pups she sighed. Picking up on it he asked, "Got your heart set on one? I can make you a deal?"

"No, thank you, I don't have time for a puppy, I've got three horses and a new job," she said absently, her eyes still trained on the pups. Recognizing that look he said, "Well, they'll be here for another couple of weeks if you change your mind, ready to go inside and get started? Normally I'd let you stay out here all day, but I've got an appointment in about 20 minutes and I need to get ready."

"Oh yes, I'm sorry, thank you, let's go inside, I'm anxious to start as well." She said standing and dusting her knees off. They chatted casually as they walked inside through the back entrance. The noise upon first entering was almost deafening, cats meowing, dogs barking and a small calf penned inside the building made her wince, "You'll get used to it," he said raising his voice, "It's not usually this bad, we're repainting the kennels, so have to bring all of our extended stay guests in here along with the normal bunch we have on hand with appointments and such." She nodded and said, "I'll be fine!"

They walked through the packed cages and up to the front entrance, standing behind the desk a woman was talking on the phone, "Oh my god, I totally know, like I was there too you know and he was looking good, I can't believe he didn't try the bull though, I mean come on, it's not like we were going to judge him or anything…oh hold on a sec," she clicked a button on the phone and said, "Dr. Reynolds office, can I help you? Yes…umm…we have an appointment on Thursday open…for whom? How do you spell that? Okay, great Mr. Smith, we'll see you and Steve on Thursday, okay, you too." She went back to the other line, "Sorry about that, yeah, and appointment, well Danni isn't here yet and Mal is out in the shed still, some new girl is supposed to start today too, you are? I want to go…"

"Ahem" he cleared his throat and the girl turned around, a pretty girl, she had medium length light brown hair and blue eyes, she look startled and said quickly, "Uh Stef-I'll talk to you later." And hung up the phone, Malcolm and Brennan walked to her and he said, "Carrie, this is Roxie, she's the 'new girl', Roxie this is Carrie. Carrie is my receptionist."

"It's nice to meet you Carrie," Brennan said extending her hand. She was pleased to see that her Google efforts paid off, she and Carrie were dressed almost identically. "Hi Roxie, you too" she said, "Mal, your 9 o'clock is running late and Danni said she was going to be late too." She handed him a couple of notes and turned back to the phone as it began to ring.

"Well, I guess you'll meet Danni later, and Stefanie works the boarding and grooming side of things, but she doesn't work on Tuesdays, so you can meet her tomorrow. Now…"he clapped his hands together, "Let's get started shall we? I'll show you where everything is and you can jump right in, okay?"

Brennan said, "That sounds great, where can I put my bag?"

Carrie turned around and pointed to a file cabinet and putting her hand over the handset of the phone said, "Top drawer is for our stuff, go ahead stick it in there." Then turned to the computer and spoke into the phone again. Brennan put her bag in the top drawer and followed Mal into an office so he could show her where things were kept before his first appointment showed up. She was going to be his assistant and would be helping him do some of his house calls, not entirely familiar with small animals; the bureau had made her out to be more of a large animal assistant, so that she would be readily accepted into his practice. She looked at the clock and hoped that Booth would be here soon and putting her Roxie smile on, she and Mal got busy looking at the upcoming appointment charts for the day.


	9. Chapter 9

**BOAB  
CHAPTER 9**

Booth arrived at the airport and waited impatiently for his bags, checking his phone he saw that he had a text message. He read her quick answer and smiled slightly, she had either been tired or distracted. Usually she sent him a short paragraph unless it was case related and then it was just the facts. Grabbing his things off the carousel he called Agent One and was told that they were waiting in the short term parking for him. Booth strolled out to the parking lot and saw an old pickup parked in the back of the lot with a trailer attached. Raising his eyebrow he headed that way and Agent Two climbed out of the cab, while Agent One exited his standard issue SUV.

Once he got closer to the truck Booth wondered if it would even get him out of the parking lot, let alone the 35 miles to the rodeo grounds. It was a 1982 Chevy Scottsdale that at one time had been yellow and white. Now however, it was a charming mixture of rust and primer. The one horse trailer had apparently been painted to match. Very little of its yellow and white color shown through the primer and mud splatter, Booth sighed and waved his hand towards the truck as he greeted the agents. "This is the best the FBI could come up with? This thing looks like it's been battling cancer and…lost."

"Sorry Agent Booth, according to our information, you're a down on your luck rodeo clown trying to get a permanent placement with an outfit. It really wouldn't look believable if your truck was new and shiny now would it?" Agent Two smirked.

Booth set his bags down and looked in the trailer, a tall buckskin gelding was contently chewing some hay. "Hey big fella" he said reaching between the bars to stroke his nose, "It's been a while since I was on a horse," _like 20 years_, he thought, "I hope you're not going to make me look bad?"

Agent One answered for the silent horse, "Gunn here will treat you right Agent Booth, he's as docile as a lamb." He indicated Booth should follow him to his own truck, he handed him some paperwork and a file and the three of them started to discuss what was expected, where he was staying initially and where he was going to be boarding Gunn. Once Booth was sure of where he was going, and what his contact position was he was ready to go. He stored his gear in the passenger seat of the Chevy and told the agents he'd be in touch. Pulling out of the parking lot, he had to adjust to pulling a trailer, something he rarely did in DC. He looked at the handheld GPS and followed the instructions to a slightly run down and industrial part of town. Following the annoying high pitched computer voice instructions he turned into the 'Dew Drop Inn'.

"Oh Lord," he said out loud as he took in the appearance of the 'Inn'.

Pulling to the back of the lot where there were other trailers parked he left most of his stuff in the truck so that he could go check in. He walked across the parking lot and past a convertible VW bug. Sitting in the car was a blonde checking her makeup in the rear-view mirror. As he passed behind her car, she tilted the mirror to follow him. "Wow, mount up cowboy" she said under breath as he moved out of the view of the mirror. Turning it back to her face, she fluffed her hair and then exited the car and headed to one of the rooms.

Booth entered the lobby and was assaulted by the smell of stale smoke and dust. The carpet at one time must have been red, but with repeated washings and traffic was now a pale pinkish color in the most heavily traveled areas fading to a reddish brown around the edges. Every piece of furniture had been salvaged from other hotel/motels so nothing matched. There was a large mirror behind the check in counter that was pitted and cracked, stacks of tourist attraction brochures advertising things that hadn't been seen in the area in over 5 years. There was an ancient ice machine, a broken soda vending machine and one washer and dryer. Cringing Booth hoped that he would be staying at the rodeo grounds sooner rather than later. He went up to the counter and rang the bell.

Waiting as patiently as he could given the circumstances, he rang the bell again and then saw a cloud of cigarette smoke precede the tallest, bleached blondest beehive of hair he'd ever seen in his life exit the curtained partition behind the counter. "Hold yer horses' bucko" a smoke roughened voice said. Booth's eyes opened wide as the woman entered the room. She was somewhere between 35 and 90 years old as near as he could tell. About 5'5, with her hair she was nearly 6 foot tall. She was wearing a fuchsia pink satin shirt with silver sequin piping. Well, wearing the shirt was really being generous. The shirt was fighting a losing battle to restrain her bosom. She had skin tight pink jeans on and ruby red stiletto heels that she tottered on as at ease as a ballerina on stage. "What can I help ya with Cowboy?" she asked, stubbing her smoke out on the counter and wiping the ash into her hand.

"Uh…" he stammered, "I'm Tony Scallion, I have a room?" _please have lost the registration_ he was thinking to himself.

"Lemme take a look see young'un" she muttered, her false nails clicking on the keyboard in a disjointed rhythm. "Scallion?" She said, squinching up her heavily made up eyes to look at him, "That some kind of I-talian name or somethin'?"

"No ma'am, I'm from Canada" he told her, trying to avoid staring at the dime sized mole on her upper lip. "Hmm...Canadian huh? You're here for the rodeo then?"

"Uh...yes ma'am." Booth was incredibly uncomfortable.

"Oh, here you are Cowboy, I gotcha in a downstairs, double bed, non smoking corner room. Plus, it says you reserved space in the barn, gotcha horse vaccinations with ya?" She asked pushing a card across the counter to him.

Booth reached into his wallet and pulled out the form that the agents had given him. It had been recently updated by Dr. Reynolds. She took the form and photocopied it on an agent Xerox machine behind the counter and attached it to the card that he'd filled out.

She handed him two keys and a silver bucket. "There's the ice machine there, the pop machine has pop in it, it's just not cold, it don't work, so leave your money in this jar," she tapped a jar behind the counter with her blood red fingernail, "The lobby closes at 7 on weekdays and 7:30 on weekends, if you need anything after that, you might as well wait until the morning. You're paid up 2 weeks, if you leave early, you'll be refunded, the big key is the key to your room and the little one is the key to the barn. You can bunk yer horse in stall 4. You wanna buy some hay or oats?" she said remotely, it was clear this wasn't a new spiel.

"No ma'am, I've got plenty" he said, he had enough on the trailer for a couple of days, the local yokels would make sure that he was covered on that end.

"Well alright then, I'm sure you'll be fine, there's no cable, but we got rent a porn if you want, 'course a hot number like you prob'ly won't want for nothing for long." She winked and licked her bottom lip. "I'd store your tack in your room if I were you, can't say how safe it'll be in the barn and make sure you clean the stall everyday otherwise, you may just wake up to a horse apple pie, iffen you get my drift?"

"Okay, thank you ma'am" he said swallowing hard. He held up the keys and said, "I appreciate it."

"No problem Bucko-enjoy yer stay at the Dew Drop" she said as she turned to go back behind the curtain, lighting a cigarette with the practiced ease of a long time smoker. Booth's head rocked back onto his shoulders as he sighed deeply and spoke under his breath to the ceiling, "I'm being punished aren't I?"

He didn't receive an answer so turned and headed out of the lobby back to his truck and trailer. He grabbed his things and went in search of his room, intending to come back and let Gunn out for a quick walk before he headed to the rodeo grounds. Entering the room he stopped just over the threshold and said, "Yup, definitely being punished." The room was decorated in early 70's gold and olive green, with the quintessential dark brown paneling on three of the four walls. The bed had the requisite magic fingers massager hooked up, a dark gold comforter and an honest to goodness velvet Elvis hanging above the bed. The King was depicted in his full Charro regalia. A nightstand next to the bed held a bible, big ben alarm clock and an orange lamp with a brown lampshade. The carpet was avocado shag and ended at the entrance to the bathroom. Shuddering and truly afraid to look but knowing he had to; he pushed open the door to the bathroom. Blindingly white, at least it was clean and would be serviceable. There was a small Formica table bolted to the wall and had two lawn chairs in front of it.

Booth took a small spray canister of Lysol from his biggest bag and sprayed everything. Brennan had taught him that. Although not a 100% effective it was better than whatever had been on the surface of the room. He grabbed his baseball cap and gun and the contact information for the rodeo foreman and headed back to the truck. Before he let Gunn out, he texted Brennan, 'Hey Bones, I'm here, staying at the roach motel, on my way to the rodeo grounds, let me know when a good time to meet will be and where?-Booth'

Opening the back of the trailer he took Gunn's lead and urged the horse to walk backwards. Agent One had been telling the truth, all it took was a slight tug and Gunn backed right out of the trailer. Booth stood in front of him and patted his nose; the horse snorted softly and pushed his nose into his chest. Laughing slightly, Booth reached up and scratched behind his ears. Gunn kept pushing on his chest to get closer. Booth smiled and led the horse to the open area behind the barn. Opening up the gate with the key he'd been given, he thought he'd let him wander for a few minutes before taking him to the rendezvous spot. While Gunn explored the small corral, Booth inspected the tack he'd been provided. Although he was city through and through he'd ridden some in the Army for kicks and when he was younger, so although he was somewhat intimidated by taking care of the horse himself, he at least knew how to put the saddle and bridle on. Hoping he'd be able to fake his way through a dance with a 1200 pound pissed off saddle bronc or bull, he knew at least he wouldn't need any help getting Gunn ready to ride. Once he was comfortable, he went to the corral to gather Gunn back up.

A young boy was sitting on the corral fence looking out over Gunn and a smaller pony that was in there. "Hi" he said tipping his hat to the young boy. He looked down at Booth and smiled a gap toothed smile, "Hi, is he yours?" the boy asked nodding to Gunn. The young man had sandy blonde hair and was wearing faded jeans and sneakers, a John Deere tractor t-shirt and a straw cowboy hat.

"Yup, his name's Gunn" Booth said.

"That's mine in there with him, his name is Scoot." The boy said proudly, "My Gramma owns this hotel and I live here with her and Leo and Scoot."

"Is Leo your brother?" Booth asked looking up and shielding his eyes slightly from the mid day sun glare.

"No Leo's my dog," the boy giggled, then turned abruptly sober, "My brother and mama died in the fire, its okay though Gramma takes real good care of me." He said his smile lighting up his face. Booth was shocked when he said his mom and brother had died in a fire, "I'm sorry about your mama and brother, my name's Tony, what's yours?"

"I'm Clay, pleasedtomeetcha" he said holding out his hand. Booth could see that he was barely able to extend it and reached out a little further to shake the young man's hand. "Well Clay, I've got to get to the rodeo, maybe I'll see you later?"

"Are you a cowboy?" Clay asked his eyes wide with admiration.

"No, I'm a clown actually" Booth told him slightly embarrassed.

"Well, that's okay too, I like the clowns," he said, "Gramma takes me to the rodeo every time it comes, and sometimes the clowns wave at me, plus, this one time I got to go sit by the chutes, and I got to hold the fake pistol." He said with pride, his chest swelling.

"Well, I'll tell you what, if I see you at the grounds, I'll wave too, how's that?" Booth was reminded of his own son and felt his chest constrict a little.

"That'd be neat Tony, thank you! You want some help with Gunn?" he asked starting to climb down the fence rails.

"Well, I'm not sure; it's been a while since we stopped so he may take some time to come over here." Booth said, suddenly worried that he didn't even know how to get the horse back to him. Clay whistled and Scoot came trotting over followed closely by Gunn, relieved that it was that easy, Booth took Gunn's lead and thanked him. "Thanks Clay, hey, do you think you could give him a pat on the nose once in awhile if you see him in the barn? I may leave him here occasionally depending on what I'm doing at the arena. I could pay you?"

"Sure Tony, you don't have to pay me though, I like to help out. Gramma says it's not polite to take money from the guests anyways." He squinted up at the taller man and stuck his hand out again, the shiny burned flesh pulled tight on his arm and hand, "Good luck at the arena and I'll see you around." He said as he turned to leave. Booth watched him lead his little pony towards the barn, a pronounced limp as he walked. The little pony walked carefully next to him and Booth could see that he was not only leading the pony, but leaning against him for support. "I'll see you Clay." Booth said under his breath as he led Gunn to the trailer and got him loaded. He checked the directions to the arena and started the old truck up and began to drive to the arena. His eyes a little red and hot, he thought about Clay on his drive and wondered if maybe he couldn't pull a few undercover strings for the boy where the rodeo was concerned.


	10. Chapter 10A

BOAB

CHAPTER 10A

"Well…that's the last of it." Dr. Reynolds said as he turned off the retractable water sprayer and looped it in the tub. The wet Persian looked up at him clear disgust on his face. "Don't look at me like that Percy, no one told you to take on a skunk, it's your own fault." He handed the mostly shaved and shivering cat over to Roxie and smiled, "Do you want the honor?"

Brennan raised her eyebrow and smiled, "Sure Dr. Reynolds, I'll dry him off and then get him in the cage." She'd enjoyed her day much more than she had anticipated. So far, they'd worked on a Heeler that had got caught in barbed wire, a colicky horse, a skunked up Persian and had repaired a cracked tortoise shell. She was surprised to see how much of her previous unused animal husbandry knowledge had returned. She started drying the cat off with a towel and had her back to the doctor. Malcolm watched her as he dried off his hands and was pleasantly surprised. She was smart, funny and didn't mind getting dirty. Now, if he could get Carrie and Danni on board to be the same way, he'd be happy. Speaking of Danni, he went into the inner office and she was on the phone.

Motioning to her to wrap it up, she switched ears and pointed to a name on the book splayed open in front of her. He moved closer and turned the book around so he could see the name. Joyce Summers. Of course, he shrugged his shoulders and mouthed, I'm sorry at her and she stuck her tongue out at him. Joyce was one of those patients that doctors dread. She was addicted to the internet and every time one of the golden retrievers she bred sneezed, she was in the office telling him the dog had some obscure disease or condition or ailment that only appeared once every 500 years or so. If it wasn't that, she was constantly making appointments because her horse was 'walking funny' or 'snorting more than usual.' The girls mostly found her amusing because in addition to having some sick obsession with self diagnosis of her animals, she also found a certain animal doctor very attractive and charming. She made him more soups, stews and cookies than any normal man could eat in a year. He was constantly pawning them off on his friends and the local mission. Not to mention the guys that worked year round at the arena, they ate more of her food than she would ever know.

Rolling his eyes at her, he went back into the room where he'd left Roxie. She was finished with Percy and had put him in his carrier. One hip leaned up against an exam table, she held a clipboard in her hand and was filling out the rest of his chart. Suddenly Foreigner's 'Hot Blooded' was heard in the room, her phone was ringing and she almost dropped the clipboard reaching for it.

"Hello?" She said, turning her back to the door and tucking her hair back behind her ear.

"Hey Sweetheart, it's Tony, how you doin'?" Booth said.

Giggling at his exaggerated rate of speech she said, "Ahhh Baby, you know how good I am" her voice was soft and seductive.

"Bones?" Booth said surprised.

"Yes"

"Just checking, are you alone?" he asked, he was leaning against the truck about a mile outside the arena; he wanted to try to touch base with her before he met his contact. Brennan turned around and saw that Malcolm had come back in and was busy on the other side of the room.

"No, sorry baby, not right now."

"Oh well, I got in safely and I'll be heading to the rodeo grounds here soon. You wouldn't believe the hell hole I'm staying at. The best thing that I can say about it is that it should be condemned. What about you, where you staying?"

"My place is beautiful, it's about 12 miles out of town, plenty of room for the horses, it's got a breathtaking view of the mountains. I'm really quite pleased, the realtors did a great job." She didn't want to go into too much detail until she spoke to him in person, as of right now they didn't even know who or why someone would want to kill Elizabeth Simpson and they needed to get together and figure out their tactics.

"Really? Damn, I've got to get away from the government, you always get the best stuff. Listen, I don't know how long I'm going to be today, but we need to get together, do you want me to call you when I'm done?"

"Yeah baby, that'd be great, I'll talk to you later okay?" she knew that Malcolm was listening.

"Okay Roxie, I'll catch you later, be good baby." He said, back into Tony mode.

"That's the only way I know how to be." She said teasingly as she hung up the phone. She turned to Malcolm and said, "I'm sorry, I should've had that on silent."

"Hot Blooded huh? Must be a boyfriend?" he said with a sad smile.

"Um no, more like a sometime sorta guy I know, you know?" she said her smile wide and her eyes playful.

"Good to know," Malcolm said. Just then they were interrupted by Carrie, "Roxie?"

"Yeah Carrie?" she said.

"Listen, we're going to the Longhorn tonight, do you want to join us?" Carrie asked as Danni stood behind her and chimed in, "Yeah, its ladies night and longnecks are only a buck, Steffi said she'd meet us there too."

"Well, I need to do something at my house first, but if I get done and it's not too late, maybe?" she said.

"What do you need to do?" Danni said popping her gum rapidly.

"I just moved in to my place and haven't had a chance to walk the fence to see if I can leave my horses out in the paddock or not, I wanted to do that so that they were stuck in the barn as much."

"We can totally help," Carried told her, "The three of us will get it done much faster."

"If you don't mind?" she said hesitantly.

"If there's one thing you'll soon learn, nothing stands between the three of them and ladies night at one of the local bars Roxie, so they'll do just about anything to go." Dr. Reynolds jumped in.

"Will you be joining us?" Roxie asked.

"No, I don't drink and I don't hang out at bars ogling cowboys." He quipped and turned back to the shelf he was stocking with new bandages.

Carrie stuck her tongue out at his back and said, "So sound like a plan?"

Roxie said, "Yeah, I can't wait," and flashed a brilliant smile. Carrie and Danni smiled also and went back out front to the reception area.

"So, why don't you go to bars?" Roxie asked, emptying out some cases and handing him the supplies he was stocking. "I met my girlfriend at a bar 5 years ago and 3 years ago she met her new boyfriend at a bar, only she didn't tell me about it until about 6 months ago. She apparently didn't tell her husband about us either. So, I've avoided them for a while and have taken a break from that whole scene."

"Oh I'm sorry. Hooking up with people you meet in bars can definitely be bad news sometimes," she was thinking of the kiss she and Booth shared the first time they had tequila in a bar, "But sometimes it's not so bad."

"Well, I'll take your word for the not so bad part, now; it is almost time for our next appointment. How do you feel about pigs?"

"I only know the two legged kind, so I'd have to say not that well." She said grimacing slightly.

"Well, you are in for a treat then, I've got three coming in that have some sort of skin ailment that I'm trying to identify and treat and let's just say, pigs are not the best patients." He grinned and grabbed high rubber boots, and pointed to another pair in the corner for her, "I hope those jeans aren't expensive?" he asked.

She looked down at her sixty dollar jeans and mentally groaned, "No, they aren't," as she grabbed the boots and followed him outside where a truck and trailer were pulling in. Loud angry squeals were erupting from the trailer as a little bow legged man jumped down from the cab and introduced himself. Soon the three of them were engrossed with their new patients and she lost track of time.

~Meanwhile~


	11. Chapter 10B

BOAB

CHAPTER 10B

Booth hung up the phone, he loved Roxie. She was the side of Brennan that she wouldn't let out for the rest of the world to see. She was so busy being rational and empirical that she sometimes forgot to live a little. He put his phone in his pocket, slipped his baseball cap on and got back into the truck to drive to the arena. Pulling up in front of it, there was a sign that said; 'employee entrance' and he followed the driveway indicated by the arrow on the sign. Pulling into a large sandy lot, he parked the truck and tried not to wince as the engine dieseled to a shuddering stop. Shaking his head at the POS he was saddled with he slid out of the cab, and headed over to the group of cowboys standing outside the large open barn.

"You Tony?" A burly blonde man in a flannel shirt and black jeans asked, stepping away from the other guys. He spit tobacco juice onto the sandy ground and stuck his gloved hand out. Shaking it and nodding, Booth said, "Yeah, Tony Scallion, sorry I'm late, truck was acting up."

"No problem, we're still waiting on a couple of guys, then we'll get started. My name's Doug, I'm the foreman, this is Curtis" he pointed to a tall, slender dark haired man, who nodded back to Tony. "This is Tug" he said, and a shorter, rounder man nodded, and that over there is Jake, a red head nodded, and Chuck, a medium height, muscular man tipped his hat. Booth shook everyone's hands and Doug asked, "So, what kind of rodeo experience do ya have Tony?"

"Mostly set up and clean up, I've worked chutes before, but I've never been a clown before."

"That's okay, it's Curtis's first time too, we'll ease you guys in, a week or so of training on top of the other duties and then when the cowboys start showing up we'll work you into some stuff before the rodeo begins."

Booth nodded, "Sounds good to me," he said.

A couple of guys strolled up and Doug said, "Well, now that the diva's have arrived we can begin, this is Jesse and Dirk, our resident 'pros' if you will." The two of them smiled and nodded at the group of guys. "Okay boys, let's head over to the barn and get started, first thing first though, bring your horses over so we can corral 'em up and see if we've got any temperament issues"

Curtis came over to Booth and said, "I know it's dumb, but I'm a little nervous, are you? I mean, I've been around horses and cows my whole life, but I never thought that I'd be jumping in front of them for fun, ya know?"

"I know, I'd rather clean up cow shit than become a bulls-eye" Booth admitted. "But who knows, maybe it won't be as bad as we thought right? Do you know why they needed more clowns?"

"Well, the way I heard it is Jesse's brother got moved up to the PBR and that left an opening, and Jesse himself was going to be competing on this circuit, so they didn't know how often they could count on him being here. Apparently he's a pretty good bronc rider."

The two of them were walking back to the truck parking lot as they talked, Curtis followed Booth over to his truck, "Looks like you've been working the circuit for some time, that truck is older than I am," he laughed.

Booth laughed and said, "Well, I like to spend my money on other things, you know wine, women and song"

Curtis helped him unload Gunn, "Nice looking horse, what's his name?" he asked as he ran his hand over his back.

"Name's Gunn and thanks."

Walking Gunn towards Curtis's truck and trailer they talked horses and past rodeo's, Booth relying mostly on notes from his cheat sheet and rodeo's he'd seen on TV. He was so out of his element here, UC hockey player? Perfect. UC boxer? Been there, done that. UC club owner, pretty sure he could do that, but a rodeo clown?

The two of them unloaded Curtis's horse, Honey and then walked over to the open gate of the corral to turn their horses out with the others. Doug called them over to the rest of them standing by the chutes. "Okay, so let's get started, the two rookies are going to go with Jesse and Dirk and get a layout, the rest of you girls are going to go clean stalls, make him pretty ladies and you'll be on a rotation, leave 'em sloppy and you'll be the manure fairies for the next two weeks." He pointed to the barn as the guys grumbled and Tug said, "leaving 'em sloppy is how you like it from what I hear Dougie."

Doug laughed and punched Tug on the shoulder as he passed and then went to his office to work on the rotation for training and set up. For the next 4 hours Booth learned more about the inner workings of a rodeo arena then he could ever hope to care about. At first he was completely ignorant of the jargon being tossed around by the two experienced men, but then he began to catch on. By the time they said it was 'beer thirty' and time to go see if there were any 'bunnies' at the Longhorn, he had begun to believe he might be able to pull this off. They all broke off to get their horses and Booth prayed that Gunn would buy the whistle trick. Luckily, it seemed that Gunn would follow anything. As soon as Curtis got Honey moving towards him, Gunn trotted along like a half wit step sibling.

The guys all gathered up and Chuck said, "Hey, newbies, we're all headin' to the Longhorn, it's ladies night," they all started to laugh except Curtis and Booth, "you wanna join? You can buy the first round?"

"What's so funny about ladies night?" Booth asked.

"Tony my man, you musta not ever been to a bar on ladies night, everything but ladies come out!"

"Oh well yeah" Booth said sheepishly.

"I'm up for it, Tony, you wanna go?" Curtis piped up.

"Sure man, I could use a cold one, just let me get Gunn home and changed, where's this place at?"

Doug spoke up, "Okay you guys, not all night, treat the ladies like you would want your sister to be treated and everybody better be on time tomorrow." He said mostly looking at Jesse.

"Sure thing Pops," Jesse grinned and pressed two fingers together then crossed his chest, "scouts honor."

Dirk snorted, "The only scouts you were ever in was a girl scout Jesse." They all laughed at that as Jesse put his thumbs in his belt loops and leaned back on his boot heels, "It was the best 20 minutes of my life too boys."

Still grinning they peeled off and headed to their own trucks. Curtis said, "Hey, I know where the bar is, want to ride w/me? I could come by and pick you up, where you staying?"

"I'm at the Dew Drop, and I'm good, where is it, I'll meet you there?" he was hoping to be able to get away with one or two beers and then meet up with Brennan wherever she was. He got Gunn loaded up and headed back towards the hotel. Unloading Gunn into the bar proved to be pretty easy, coming out of the barn was a little tricky though. Just as he shot the bolt on the stable door he heard a low menacing growl behind him. Turning slowly, wishing he had his gun, he was soon face to face with the biggest dog he'd ever seen in his life. At least three feet at the shoulder, his head was a large as a tire and Booth could see every one of his teeth. "Nice doggy, nice pooch" he tried soothingly wishing he had something he could throw that it would chase, like a Buick.

"LEO! Back off!" he heard Clay say from the entrance to the barn. Instantly docile, Leo turned and trotted over to his boy. Clay stood next to the dog and leaned on him; he could have just as easily thrown a saddle over his back and ridden him from what Booth could see.

"Thanks Clay, I'm glad you were here!" Booth said feeling the sweat bead and roll down the middle of his back.

"Sorry about that Tony, he's a little gun shy around grown ups, c'mere and I'll introduce you." He motioned for Tony to walk towards him. Somehow feeling like that was a huge mistake, but trusting the young broken boy, he walked slowly to the two of them.

"Leo, sit." Clay commanded.

Sitting the dog looked the boy in the eye and smiled a doggy grin, his tail wagging the ground behind him and a slow runner of drool sliding out of his mouth.

Booth sidled over to him and Clay said, "Stick your hand out, when he's done sniffing, pat him on the head. He'll either like you or he won't."

Normally Booth would appreciate the kids' candor but right now he wished he didn't smell like 190 lbs of prime cut dog food. He stuck his hand out and Leo sniffed hesitantly at first, then he rubbed his nose against his hand as if asking to be pet. Booth released a pent up breath and carefully moved his hand up to stroke the massive ears. "Good boy, good dog" he said heartily.

"He likes you!" Clay exclaimed. "Good thing, because the last guy that boarded with gramma left a part of his butt behind."

Swallowing Booth said, "Really?"

"Yeah, he tried to get past Leo." He said with a big smile on his face. Booth just nodded, slightly pale.

"Well Clay, I'm glad you introduced me and Leo, but I've got to get cleaned up, I'm meeting some cowboys in town, maybe I'll see you in the morning?"

"You going to the Longhorn?" Clay asked somewhat sadly.

"Yeah, champ why?" he said noticing the voice tone.

"Mama used to go there too sometimes," he said, "I'll see you in the morning Tony, c'mon Leo, let's go see if gramma has any ice cream." He grabbed the big dog's collar and leaned on him slightly as they left the barn. Booth watched them walk all the way to the office door and disappear inside. The only light a thin sliver peeking under the patchwork curtains.

Shaking his head, Booth went into his room and showered and changed. Picking an outfit that Angela had labeled for him, he grabbed his new hat and his 'ride a cowboy' belt buckle and jumped into the truck. He wanted to call Brennan, but he knew that she'd call him when she could. He would wait.

*****okay before the mushy fruit gets thrown they are going to meet up in part C******


	12. Chapter 10C

BOAB

CH10C

Wiping the sweat out of her eye with one hand, while still holding onto the squirming calf, Brennan braced her legs and pulled him back down to where he was level and Mal could finish the suture. He wiped the sweat from his own brow and smiled up at her from his position on the ground, "You're doing a great job kid, hang in there," he said through his teeth as he tried to get the needle through the ragged skin of the cow's hide. "Thanks doc," she gasped, wondering why it was she wanted so desperately to go into the field with Booth on that second case. Classic case of what she knew now versus what she knew then in her opinion.

Thankfully it was only another 15 minutes and then he was done stitching up the wayward trench coat. She grabbed the lead on the halter and took the calf into the pen behind the office and watched as he bucked and snorted, kicking his heels up he ran to join his mama who'd been brought in with him. Despite the aching in her shoulders, the mud covering her entire body and the bruise that was sure to develop thanks to a well placed hoof, Brennan smiled at his antics, "Try to stay away from the tractor scythe next time!" she yelled out after him. Turning to go back in, Mal was standing in the doorway wiping his hands off on a towel.

"That's right Roxie, you tell 'em," he chuckled. Brennan smiled and blushed slightly, "Well, it's obvious his mama didn't teach him any sense!" she defended herself and came in to wipe off what she could.

"Hey Roxie," Danni called from the main office.

"Yes Danni?" she responded, wiping her shirt and walking towards the door.

"Do you mind if we change out at your place?"

"Change what?" Brennan said distractedly as she continued to get the grime off of her.

"Our clothes? Remember, ladies night?" Carrie laughed.

"Oh, oh yeah, I'm sorry, I completely forgot about that! No, I don't mind, do you want to follow me out there then?" She asked, looking up once she entered the main waiting room.

"That's great, then we can all just change and go to the 'horn from there, Steff will just meet us there after all. You'll like her, she's pretty cool, she used to ride barrels." Danni said as she filed the patient files for the day. Standing up she stretched and looked at the clock, "Well, I'm ready when you two are." She said.

Carrie clicked a couple of pages off and then shut down the computer and flipped the switch that turned the sign from open to closed, before closing the blinds on the main window. "I'm ready." She said and smiled.

Brennan grinned and said, "Let me just make sure I'm good to go, then I'll meet you both out front." Rolling her eyes Carrie said, "Mal strikes again." Danni laughed and the two of them left through the front door arm in arm. Wondering what she meant by that, Brennan locked the front door and then went into the exam room. Mal was sweeping up the floor and looked like he was almost done. "Need any more help?" She asked.

"No thanks Roxie; you can go on, thank you for all your help today. I was very pleased and I'm glad you were able to start on such short notice. You really know your way around a doctor's office." He stopped sweeping and leaned on the broom, looking at her. Even dirty and disheveled she was still flat out gorgeous. "Well, I still have a lot to learn, but thank you, are you sure you don't want to join us?" She was trying to figure out a way to get him near Booth so that they could ask him some questions, she wasn't at all confident in her interrogation technique, but Booth, well he could ask questions like no other.

"Not tonight, I'm going to go check on Zoe, then head on home, but I'll see you in the morning, we've got some house calls to make."

"Okay then, see you tomorrow." She grabbed her purse from the front filing cabinet and left through the side door. He watched her leave and meet up with the other two girls in the parking lot. "Roxie huh?" he said, recognizing that she wasn't Roxie Morgan and she wasn't a veterinarians assistant. Instead she was Dr. Temperance Brennan and he'd read all of her books. Wondering why she was here and what all she was involved with; he merely watched them get into their trucks and pull out before he finished sweeping and locked up the office for the night.

Carrie and Danni followed Brennan out to her place and parked side by side in front of her barn. Danni was the first out of her truck and said, "Wow, this place is nice Roxie, you're renting this?" she was looking around the place and noticing how neat and clean everything was.

"For now, I'm not sure if I'll end up buying or not, it depends on how this job works out," Brennan shrugged and led the way into the barn. "I've got to shovel the stalls really quickly and then we can walk the fence line, if that's okay?" she wasn't sure how much help the two were willing to be.

"We'll help, it's almost sundown and I don't want to walk a fence line in the dark, turn the horses out and then we can each take a stall." Carrie said grabbing a shovel and handing one to Danni.

"Because I don't shovel enough shit at home?" Danni said sarcastically.

"Apparently not D," Carrie laughed.

Brennan went inside Fury's stall and opened up the outside gate after patting his nose and saying hello, he nickered softly at her and walked outside and stood as he had that morning, just under the awning. Charcoal pushed on her with her delicate nose as she opened her gate. She stepped daintily outside of the stall and then trotted across the open pasture gracefully, her ears flicking in all directions.

As each of the horses left the barn, Danni and Carrie moved in and began to shovel right outside the stall doors where it could all be scooped up with the bobcat. Taking a deep breath Brennan edged into Wrath's stall and stood still. He turned his back to her and flattened his ears. She edged carefully over to the gate and slowly shot the bolt. Hearing it click, he twisted his head to see that he was able to leave. Shooting out again like he'd been blasted out, he ran full bore across the pasture. Carrie and Danni both stopped shoveling and marveled at the large horse as he rocketed around the pasture, "Wow," Carrie breathed, "he is gorgeous, what's his name?"

"Wrath" Brennan replied watching him and envying him his ability to fly at the same time wishing she didn't feel the same hurt that he did. She grabbed a shovel and silently began to clear out his stall. The three of them worked quickly and when they were done with the floors and the oat buckets were full again, Brennan started the bobcat and quickly moved the small piles to behind the barn where they would dry and then be used for fertilizer. They struck out along the fence line, each looking for patches where the horses could get snagged on wayward wires or posts. "So Steff used to ride barrels?" Brennan asked casually as they walked. Danni said, "Yes, she's been riding the circuit since she was a little kid, she was a princess in the court two years ago, when her sister was queen. She stopped riding when she died though, said it wasn't worth it just for some sequins and roses."

"How did her sister die?" Brennan asked, looking up to check where the horses were. Carrie was on the opposite side of the pasture having decided to split up to make it easier. Charcoal was following her at a sedate pace and Brennan smiled, she looked like a giant gold dog.

"In a fire, she and her son, it was a few years ago." Danni answered, "Here, help me twist this bit back up." Brennan helped her tie up a stray piece of barb wire and they continued on.

"That's terrible." Brennan said filing away that bit of information. "Um, just out of curiosity, what happened to the girl that used to work with you?" She said nonchalantly.

"Elizabeth? Oh, she died too. They found her body in a barrel at the rodeo grounds a month or so ago, she'd been missing for a couple of months. We thought that she'd gone back home, she was always telling us how great it was in Texas. She rode the circuit a bit too, but she liked working with Mal too. Aside from how much better Texas was than every other place on the planet, she seemed happy here. She had a boyfriend, and we hung out with her a lot too. One day she just stopped answering her phone and was gone. Her boyfriend didn't hear anything either, then the next thing we know, she's in a barrel. It was pretty gross I heard." She said wrinkling her nose and raising her eyebrows.

"I can imagine." Brennan said, "It sounds gross, do they know who did it?"

"Nope, they asked around, but couldn't find anything. They thought it had to be a drifter, all the people that work the arena have been there forever and none of them would do anything like that. Her boyfriend was devastated. I guess he was going to propose." She shrugged and they kept on walking. They intercepted Carrie and compared notes, there were no holes in the fence or broken posts, so leaving the horses out didn't seem like it would cause any problems. The three of them walked across the field to the barn, Fury and Charcoal flanking them almost like an escort. Wrath had yet to come over to inspect the girls, he was keeping his distance and although it seemed like he was ignoring them he knew exactly where they were with every step they took.

"What's wrong with him?" Carried asked nodding at the big bay horse.

"He was abused before I rescued him. He'd been left to die on an abandoned farm and he's a little skittish. I'm hoping to rehabilitate him, he's got a lot of life left in him." She said watching him out of the corner of her eye. Turning to walk backwards she smiled and held her hands out towards the other two, "These two are just as docile as lambs, I couldn't have asked for better horses."

"Popcorn is like that, he's actually as dumb as a brick but will give you everything he's got" Danni said about her own horse.

Carrie laughed, "Remember that time he stuck his nose into the tree and hit the bee hive?" she started to laugh as she explained he just stood there and kept nosing it, "He was curious about the bees that were stinging him," she wiped her eyes and Danni laughed remembering. Brennan giggled slightly imagining how foolish he must have looked. "That was so funny." Danni said.

"My horse, Sultan, is a pretty good boy, he's a retired heeler, boy he can stop on a dime and give you nine cents change." Carrie said obviously proud of her horse.

"Hey, maybe we can go riding sometime?" Danni said as they reached the barn.

"That sounds like fun, for now though, let's go get ready, I'd like to see if I can get some other kind of riding in tonight!" Carrie said raucously.

The three of them walked inside the cabin and Brennan showed them where they bathrooms were. She would wait until they were done showering and then she'd take a quick one. Laying her clothes out, she hoped she was choosing an appropriate outfit. She heard the water come on in both showers and went into the kitchen to grab something to eat, before she remembered she was currently foodless, having intended to shop after work. Grabbing another granola bar, she tore into it as her phone began to ring.

"Tony hi!" She said, knowing it was him, he was the only one that had the 'hot blooded' theme song as a ring tone.

"Hi _Roxie_" he said back. "Hows it going so far?"

"Well, I've learned some things that may be pertinent, but still trying to get a little background, what about you?"

He knew if she was using words like pertinent she was able to speak freely. "I've got zilch-although, I do know that I never want to do this kind of case again," he told her a little bit about how he spent his day. "Any of them make you feel like they may be cold blooded killers?" she asked finishing the granola bar.

"Not yet, of course I didn't get to interact with them all yet, just the two 'pro's' and the other new guy. What are you doing tonight?" he asked wishing he could blow off the guys and meet up with her. No matter where they were or what case they were working on, he found that he missed her more and more. Knowing that his balls were in her purse when it came to telling her how he felt he cringed a little at his own cowardice, but knew that she'd just explain it all away as chemicals or something anyway.

"I'm going out with some girls I met at work"-she stopped speaking as she heard Carrie moving around in the guest bedroom right outside the kitchen, "in fact I've got to go, maybe I'll talk to you later?"

"Where are you going with them, we're going to the l"-she cut him off.

"I'll call you okay? I've got to go; it was good to hear from you." She hung up the phone just as Carrie walked in. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." She said.

Brennan tucked her phone into her pocket and said, "No worries, it was just an old friend checking to make sure I made it here okay."

Danni walked in, a towel wrapped around her, her assets straining the top portion of the towel, "Okay Roxie, you can have your own room back, I'm going to get changed in here." She said following Carrie back into the guest room. Brennan said, "Okay-thanks" and headed to her own room. She showered quickly and then wrapped her hair up into a towel as she got dressed; she pulled on a short denim skirt and a tight white tank top. Pulling her hair out of the towel, she blow dried it and then pulled it up into a reverse pony tail. Pulling strands out to hang around her face, she put on her makeup and then slid into a denim cropped jacket. She put a couple of large necklaces on and as her last addition to her costume, strung her belt through the loops on the skirt and fastened it with the 'cocky' belt buckle Booth had given her. She pulled on her cowboy boots and looked in the mirror. The skirt hit her mid thigh and although it was much more skin than she usually exposed, she felt pretty comfortable.

She went into the kitchen where Danni and Carrie were waiting for her. They were dressed similarly and she mentally blew a sigh of relief. "Wow, I wish I had legs that went all the way to my chin," Carrie said with a smile, Brennan started to explain that a person's legs couldn't reach to their chin but stopped herself, "I'm just lucky I guess."

The three of them headed to the trucks parked outside, "Do you all want to ride with me?" She asked.

"No, we can all drive, that way if one of us gets lucky or strikes out, we can leave without having to wait for the others" Danni said.

"Okay, well then I'll follow you, I don't know where I'm going." She said.

"Sounds good." Each of them got into their trucks and pulled out in a line. Brennan clicked her GPS on so that she would be able to find her way home should something go down this evening. Although she was here for a case, she was actually enjoying herself, she loved the ability to just…do something with girls her own age and she wondered if this is what Angela had been trying to tell her about all this time.

They arrived at the bar and parked in the gravel parking lot. Neon illuminated their way inside, Brennan spared a glance at the sign, a giant Longhorn steer blinking in bright neon was mounted to the roof of the low slung building. Walking inside her senses were assaulted with the smells of peanuts, beer and cologne or perfume from the hundred or so people in the bar. The band was playing a cover of a Toby Keith song and although she didn't recognize it, she did like the driving beat. Carrie and Danni were greeted loudly and often as they made their way to the bar, heads all turned as Brennan made her way through the throng with them. Women wondered about the competition and men wondered if her rack was real and where she'd been all their lives.

"CARRIE!" A woman squealed across the bar, just as the three of them made it to the counter.

"STEFF" She hollered back and laughed as Steff launched herself across the bar.

Brennan stood behind Danni as the blonde came over to them; she was medium built and slender, tan and very blonde. She came over and Danni introduced her to Brennan, "Steff, this is Roxie, she took Elizabeth's position at the office, she started today."

"It's nice to meet you" Steff said shaking her hand and smiling. She had a delightful accent, she sounded Swiss to Brennan's ear and she said, "I love your accent, where are you from?"

Steff smiled and said, "Originally Switzerland, but I moved her a few years ago, and thank you, now, who's ready to get their drink on?" she asked, "First round is on me, and OH MY GOD you have to see the new guy that started at the arena, he's here with the rest of the boneheads that work out there." She said signaling to the bartender to bring them a round.

Once they had their drinks, they made their way back to the table that she'd scored, near enough that they could see the band, get to the bathrooms and watch the mechanical bull, but far enough away that they could pursue their favorite topic, men. How to get them, what to do with them when they had them, which ones to get and which ones to avoid, they sat down and Danni said, "Where's the new guy?" they were all looking towards the table that Steff had indicated.

"He was just there a minute ago, he's wearing black jeans and a lavender shirt."

"Lavender?" Brennan said incredulously. She knew that Booth had eclectic taste, but didn't think that it ran to lavender. Of course, it may not even be Booth they were talking about. Except it was, like they had some sort of invisible tie to one another, she saw him just as he felt that he was being watched. He turned and saw her familiar profile. Taking the pitcher back to his table, he tried not to smile. This is where the UC part of the operation got difficult.

"Oh, you are right" Carrie said, "He is hot…wow, white hot, I may have to check that out. Unless someone else is interested?" she looked around the table and they all smiled.

"I think we are all interested," Brennan said with a grin.

"Is Chuck here?" Danni asked, twirling her half empty glass in her hand and looking around.

"What is it with you and Chuck?" Steff said in exasperation.

"Yeah Danni, let him go, high school was a long time ago, and I'm sorry but with his track record, you'd be better off without him."

Danni scowled at them and continued to search. She didn't care, she'd loved him since she was a freshman in high school and even though he broke up with her a long time ago, she still carried a torch for him, even though his two most recent romances ended tragically.

"What's with his track record?" Brennan asked.

"Chuck was seeing my sister before she died and he was dating Elizabeth when she died." Steff said matter of factly.

Brennan raised her eyebrows and hid her mouth behind her drink, that was definitely something Booth would want to know. "There he is" Danni said her face lighting up. Turning to look in the direction that she was looking, she saw the muscular man come into view, followed by a red head and a couple of other guys. All of which were dressed much the same as Booth had been, tight jeans, button down shirts and cowboy hats. Standing up and smoothing her skirt, Danni grabbed her beer and said, "See you girls, I'm off to get into some trouble."

She got up and walked across the bar to the table where they were all sitting. "Watch out Tony, it's already starting man, here comes the initial contact. You see, when there's fresh meat, they'll send out a reconnaissance girl who will check the situation out; she will count the rings, that sort of thing, then report back. Once they have a little talk amongst themselves, they'll send the big guns out. Usually it's the one that's fearless, or the one that's had the most to drink. Get ready…set…go." Jake said.

"Hi boys, who's your friends?" she said nodding to Curtis and Booth.

Curtis stood up and stuck his hand out, "I'm Curtis Conway ma'am," he said his face a little flushed. Danni was packing some serious heat, short skirt, cropped top, boobs spilling over the top of the tiny shirt, she wasn't a stick and the curves she sported promised many things as she walked. The others at the table snickered; most newbies were enamored of Danni and her 'girls'. "Well, it's nice to meet you Curtis Conway," She smiled and licked her bottom lip, she nodded to Booth and said, "And you are?"

"Tony Scallion," he said also extending his hand. She shook it and let her hand linger in his an extra second. "So, where you boys from?"

Curtis answered first, "I'm from Oregon."

"I'm from Canada." Booth said taking a sip of his beer and looking past her to the other table.

"Hey Danni," Chuck said, "Why don't you invite your girls to come on over, I'm sure we could make plenty of room, right guys?"

They all agreed and started grabbing chairs from nearby tables, "Okay, I'll see. Oh, hey, Curtis, Tony, either of you ride bulls?"

"What's a matter Danni?" Jake asked, "Can't find someone to go the distance?" he smirked.

She smiled coyly and said, "I'm always looking for someone that can go longer than 8 seconds Jake, you know that, or at least you should." She turned quickly and walked back to the table.

"Okay, the dark haired one in the purple shirt…" She started.

"Lavender" Carrie said, her hand propping up her chin as she took in the lavender shirt and what was under it.

"Whatever, his name is Tony and he's from Canada. He's got the strongest hands I've ever touched too" she fanned herself and then continued, "The other one, with the dark brown hair, his name is Curtis and he's from Oregon, he's also got the prettiest blue eyes I've ever seen." She stopped to take a drink of her beer, "They want us to come sit with them, so grab your drinks, and let's go."

"I don't know, should we?" Brennan said, wondering how this was going to play out.

"Of course we should, you want to be with these guys honey," Steff said, "Well, all except Chuck, but he's Danni's cross to bear."

"Shut up Stefanie." Danni said, "I like him okay, that's it."

"You just keep telling yourself that sister" Carrie said, standing up and grabbing the pitcher and her glass, "I don't know about you three chickies but I'm gonna go see if they new guy can handle himself."

Laughing, they followed her to the guys table, Brennan took a deep breath and thought to herself, _you can do this Temperance, just pretend you don't know anything about him, don't look into his eyes and hope he doesn't want to sit by you._ As good as he was looking tonight, mixed with the music, smoke and UC assignment, she wasn't sure she wanted to sit too close to him after all. She might just give in this time.

***stay tuned…here comes the Tony and Roxie moment***


	13. Chapter 10D

CHAPTER 10D

Brennan slid into her seat deliberately across from Booth, Steff sat next to Curtis and Danni and Carrie flanked Booth. Introductions were made across the table, and when Roxie shook hands with Tug he stroked her hand with his thumb and said, "Foxie Roxie, where did you come from?"

"Oh, here and there, you know I never stay in one place too long." She took a sip of her beer and winked at him.

"We are a lucky bunch then that you decided to stop in and hopefully, you'll stay awhile" he continued, as Curtis signaled for another round. He and Danni had been chatting. Well, Danni had been chatting he was mostly staring at her chest and trying not to appear like he was staring at her chest. Carrie turned to Booth, "So Tony, what brings you to the states?"

"I'm just trying to make it on the circuit. I got hurt awhile ago, so I'm trying to make it back up to snuff, playing rodeo clown is as a good a way as any."

"I didn't figure you for a clown, what's your main event?" she continued. Booth knew he was in hot water, he didn't know jack about Rodeo's. "Oh, I do a little of everything." Turning to Brennan he said, "So, Roxie, you're new here too?"

"Yeah Tony, I just got in, it's a great place, I like it so far."

"What do you do?" He asked.

"I'm a veterinarian assistant."

"My last girlfriend was a vet's assistant too." Chuck spoke up, "She worked for Dr. Reynolds, is that where you work too? Oh, well, I guess you'd have to since you know these girls." He answered himself.

"Yes, that's where I met these three" she said wondering if he was going to continue. Just then they heard the band's lead singer, "Okay all you love birds, grab your guy or girl or some random hot stranger, the next one is for you…"

_Sometimes late at night  
I lie awake and watch her sleeping  
She's lost in peaceful dreams  
So I turn out the lights and lay there in the dark  
And the thought crosses my mind  
If I never wake up in the morning  
Would she ever doubt the way I feel  
About her in my heart_

The band began to play an older but unforgettable tune, one that Booth and Brennan had danced to once a long time ago.

"Danni, would you like to dance?" Curtis asked, clearly smitten with the buxom beauty. She glanced at Chuck who seemed to be in another world and sighed slightly before pasting a smile on and saying, "I'd love to!" The two of them stood up and headed to the floor.

"Roxie, would you like to dance?" Booth asked a slight grin on his face. Brennan watched Carrie's smile slide a little, she was clearly about to ask him to dance herself, however, this was their song and UC restrictions be damned, she and Booth had danced their first dance to this song.

"Yes, I'd love to, thank you." She stood and he took her hand, his thumb rasping over the back of her hand.

"C'mon Carrie, let's tear it up." Tug said. Jumping up she smiled at him and the two of them followed Tony and Roxie.

"Looks like you're the odd man out Steff." Jake said, "I don't dance, or I'd ask you."

"That's okay Jake, I don't mind, not a big Garth fan anyway," she said taking another drink of her beer. She watched the rest of them out on the dance floor and wished she was anywhere but there, this song's lyrics cut just a little too close to the bone.

_If tomorrow never comes  
Will she know how much I loved her  
Did I try in every way  
To show her every day  
That she's my only one  
If my time on earth were through  
And she must face the world without me  
Is the love I gave her in the past  
Gonna be enough to last  
If tomorrow never comes  
'Cause I've lost loved ones in my life  
Who never knew how much I loved them  
Now I live with the regret  
That my true feelings for them never were revealed  
_

Booth and Brennan made their way onto the crowded dance floor and he pulled her tight into his arms, pushing his hat back slightly on his head, he leaned in to whisper in her ear, "I don't think that you would get away with wearing that back home Roxie, but I like it."

Brennan smiled against his shoulder and said, "I like what you've got on too, Tony, you've caused quite a stir amongst the ladies, that's for sure, they've all got their eye on you." Turning her slightly as he moved slowly to the lyrics all he could think was, _and I've only got eyes for you_.

"I'm glad you asked me to dance Booth, I love this song." She said as he pulled her even tighter against his chest. She could smell his cologne, and feel his warmth, and she felt herself responding as she always did. What harm would it be to give in this time? She wasn't supposed to be Brennan, she was a perfect stranger, a girl named Roxie. Why couldn't she give in to her biological urges and allow herself to feel what he was like. She ran her hand over his shoulder and felt the hard and muscular definition. Sighing slightly she leaned in even closer.

For his part, Booth was struggling mightly with his own attraction to her. Not just because she was Brennan, the woman he loved, but because as Tony he could be a different person and so could she, and maybe she would let go enough that they could see if they could be as great together as he thought they would be. He moved his hand lower down her back and felt the warmth of her skin under his fingers and he swallowed. He alternately wished time would slow down and speed up. He was aware that this dance was so much more than the two of them swaying to a sappy song, it could be a harbinger of things to come, or a single sign of regret for things that never could.

_So I made a promise to myself  
To say each day how much she means to me  
And avoid that circumstance  
Where there's no second chance  
To tell her how I feel  
If tomorrow never comes  
Will she know how much I loved her  
Did I try in every way  
To show her every day  
That she's my only one  
_

They continued to slowly sway to the music, letting the words the singer crooned wash over them, the entire bar seemed to slow as if caught in a time warp, while everyone held on to their partner as if they were afraid they'd never hold them again. Even newly introduced people, like Danni and Curtis were clinging to each other like victims of a shipwreck clung to life preservers.

Leaning back to look into his eyes, Roxie licked her lips and said quietly, "No matter how this case ends up, I'm glad we came."

He stared back into her ice blue eyes and felt himself lose the battle to hold onto his last shred of manhood and said, "I am too Tempe. I have to tell you something…"

She interrupted him, "No Tony, let's just dance, no more talking."

Brennan knew where this could very well end up and she didn't want to compromise the mission, even though her thoughts were filled with his body, his eyes, his scent, the feel of him under her hands, the way he held her and a million other things that made working with him harder and harder every day.

_If my time on earth were through  
And she must face this world without me  
Is the love I gave her in the past  
Gonna be enough to last  
If tomorrow never comes_

So tell that someone that you love  
Just what you're thinking of  
If tomorrow never comes

__ The dance ended and as the final notes of the piano wafted across the room, he squeezed her tight for a brief second and said ever so quietly in her ear before he let her go, "If tomorrow never comes I hope you know how I feel Tempe, thank you for the dance." She moved out of his arms and he headed over to the bar as the band queued up another song, "Let's shake the dust out a bit ladies and gents, everyone let's dance!" They launched into the latest Kid Rock song and most everyone came out to the floor. Brennan headed back to the table and Booth was going to join her with a fresh beer in his hand when Steff came over and said, "My turn cowboy," as she took his arm and led him back to the floor. Everyone from the table got up, except Jake and Jesse.

"Hey Roxie, you look like someone that enjoys a good time, wanna go ride the bull?" Jesse asked winking at Jake.

Brennan knew that this was some sort of challenge to be accepted into the group, and she wanted to assimilate as much as possible, but wasn't willing to climb up on a mechanical bull in a short, tight skirt no matter who asked her.

"You know, maybe next time, tonight I think I just want to dance a little and make some friends, but thanks."

"Well, anytime you want to go on an 8 second ride, you let me know," Jesse said.

"You'll be the first to know." She said sarcastically.

After the band had rolled into another song, the group made their way back to the bar and Jake said, "Anyone up for a little pool?"

Tug said, "Nah, I'm gonna head on home, the missus is gonna be mad as a wet hen as it is."

Everyone but Curtis and Booth laughed, "That's what happens when you marry the first girl you hook up with, she's got you in the palm of her hand" Chuck said, his words slightly slurred.

"It's not so bad; at least I know I'll end up in the palm of her hand." Tug said and winked at the group, Brennan blushed slightly, she wasn't used to such candor.

The group laughed and waved as he left, and Jesse said, "Hey Tug, can I get a ride? There's nothing keeping me here, if Miss Roxie isn't gonna try the bull." He winked at her to show that he was just kidding and she gave him a half smile, thinking to herself, you don't do anything for me bull boy.

"Sure, c'mon, see you all tomorrow." Tug said.

The two of them left and the group began to talk again. They were all lost in different conversations, across the table, each one jumping in to add an anecdote or embellish a story when Steff said incredulously, "You've got to be kidding me, please someone tell me that's not who I think it is." They turned to look where she was looking at none other than Dr. Malcolm Reynolds was standing in the doorway. Seeing the group at the table he began to make his way over to them, stopping every so often to say hello to a client or answer a greeting from someone.

"Hi, mind if I join you?" He asked, taking in the whole table but speaking to Brennan directly.

"No doc, we don't mind." Carrie said, hooking Jesse's recently vacated chair with her foot and pulling it out. "This is something new, thought you didn't do bars anymore?" She continued. Booth watched Brennan's reaction when the tall, handsome doctor sat down. Her eyes widened and she licked her bottom lip subconsciously.

"Well, I thought maybe I'd see what all the fuss was about, after all, I'm single and still somewhat young, at heart if nothing else." He laughed slightly, "Plus, this way when I hear all about it tomorrow, I'll be able to separate truth from fiction."

They all laughed and Steff made the introductions to Booth and Curtis, both men shook his hand and settled back into conversation. "So, pool, anyone?" Jake mentioned again.

"Yeah Jake, I'll play," Steff said, "Ready to get your butt kicked?"

"Well as long as my butt gets played with, I'll take what I can get." He said with a leer and a wink. She shook her head at him and slapped him playfully on the shoulder, "You're sick you know that?"

"You love it babe," he said back as he wrapped his arms around her and they walked off towards the pool table.

"You think those two are ever going to actually do something about this shameless flirtation thing they've got going on?" Danni asked the group at large. She was watching Chuck who was staring at his beer like the answers to the universe's most pressing issues were printed on the label.

Carrie laughed, "I doubt it, Jake is slower than molasses in January and Steff is as stubborn as a mule, so it'll be years before they go any further than they are right now. Hey Chuck, you still awake over there?"

He looked up and seemed to have to focus in on where he was and who they were, "Yeah, Carrie I'm still here," he smiled.

The band started to play a slower number, "here's our tribute to the red headed stranger," The band leader announced as the opening strains of 'You Were Always On My Mind' began to generate motion on the dance floor. "Roxie? Can I have this dance?" Malcolm asked, holding out his hand.

She hesitated only briefly before saying, "I'd love to Mal."

He waited until she came around the table and put his hand on her lower back, taking her other hand in his, he lead her to the dance floor. Booth felt rigid with anger at the familiarity he showed with his partner, but tried hard to control himself, after all they weren't supposed to know each other.

"Chuck, you want to dance?" Danni asked hopefully.

"Sure, that sounds nice," he said to everyone's surprise. Especially hers. She smiled broadly as she took his hand in his and they walked to the dance floor. He took her into his arms, and although he wasn't a very good dancer, her heart swelled and she felt like she was the most important person in the world in his arms. She only hoped that he saw her. That's all she'd ever wanted, was for him to see her. After they broke up in high school and he'd moved on to Stella, she'd been devastated. She thought for sure when Stella moved away that it would be the end of them, but she'd come back and even though she'd come back with a kid, he still wanted her. Then when she died in the fire, she'd tried to console him, and she thought it was working and that he was coming around, he was sleeping in her bed anyway and then he and Elizabeth were together. She thought that her world had ended and if it hadn't been for her close friends, she would have lost it. Ever since Elizabeth had died, she done everything she could for him, she'd cooked and cleaned and invited him places, and still he treated her like she wasn't really there. She'd gotten her hopes up in the past and didn't want to again, but it was so hard, she love d him, and always had.

Curtis watched her walk onto the floor with Chuck and felt a little bummed. Even though he'd just met her, he liked her. She had a happy smile and was nice, combined with a slamming body, he thought she just about made his move here perfect.

Carrie's mouth opened in complete and utter surprise before she closed it and then said, "Wow, did anyone see that coming?"

"I don't know the history Carrie, remember…new guy?" Booth said and Dirk jumped in, "Danni's had a hard on for Chuck since 9th grade, he broke up with her, started dating Steff's sister Stella and then she died, then he started dating Elizabeth and she died and each time one of his girlfriends buys a dirt nap Danni tries to get back into his line of sight. Right Carrie?"

"Yeah, Dirk, that about sums it up, crass and bluntly, but accurately." She said rolling her eyes at him, before turning her attention back to Booth.

"Both of his girlfriends died?" Booth said surprised as he filed that away.

"Yeah, one in a fire and then Elizabeth was murdered." She said sipping the rest of her beer and looking around to see if there was anyone of interest left to dance with, the bar had begun to empty as people had to get home to try to get some sleep before the next day arrived bright and early. It was closing in on midnight.

Something about the fire comment jiggled at Booth's brain and he tried to think where he'd heard about someone dying in a fire, but the beer combined with his girl dancing cheek to cheek with an incredibly handsome doctor made it difficult to pin point it exactly. The song ended and Brennan and Malcolm came back to the table, "Well everyone, I hate to dance and run but I've got to get up early tomorrow for work, Carrie, Roxie, I'll see you in the morning and please tell Steff to drive safe, it was looking a little stormy out there earlier and with her having to go up the pass, it could be a little dicey."

Dirk said, "Hey Doc, can you drop me off at the arena, I'm gonna head out too."

"Sure Dirk, come on, Tony, Curtis it was nice to meet both of you, g'night."

Dirk said, "Nice to meetcha Roxie, see you around," and then he walked around the table to Carrie and kissed her on the top of the head, "Don't stay out too late sis, see you later." He and Malcolm left and Brennan turned to Carrie, "Sis? I didn't know he was your brother!"

"Half brother, we have the same no good mama," She said, "Dirk's a good guy."

Steff and Jake came back from pool, arm in arm and he said, "Ladies, gents, I'm heading home, I've had my butt handed to me by a foreigner and I need to go home and lick my wounds, Curt, Tony, Chuck, I'll see you tomorrow. Carrie, Danni and Roxie, I'll see you…sometime."

"C'mon Jake I'll walk you to your truck," Steff said.

"Gonna help him lick those wounds Steff?" Carrie asked with a great big smile.

"Carrie, you are so juvenile." She scoffed, "I'll see you all at work tomorrow, I'm leaving too."

"It's raining according to Mal, so be careful on the pass," Carrie said to her.

"Okay, thanks, g'night!"

She and Jake left and Chuck said, "Yeah, I'm outta here too, see ya later boys." He lurched to his feet and began to weave out of the bar, "Chuck, you need a ride home?" he turned and looked back, "No thanks Danni, I'll be fine."

Curtis got up, "Chuck, I'll take you back to the arena, we can come get your truck tomorrow, you're too tanked to drive, see you later Carrie, Roxie." Turning to Danni he smiled shyly and said, "It was real nice to meet you Danni, I hope I'll see you again."

She smiled and watched him lead Chuck out. "He likes you Miss D," Carrie said.

"Who Chuck?" she said brightly.

"No, not Chuckles the sad rodeo clown, Curtis the happy rodeo clown!" She said waving her had in front of her face, "Seriously girl, you've got to get Chuck off of your mind!"

"Carrie-drop it okay, you don't know what it's like." Danni said impatiently, "I'm going home, Roxie, I'll see you in the morning, bye Tony it was nice to see you…I mean…meet you." She said, half her mind on Chuck the other half on ignoring Carrie.

Carrie shook her head at her best friend as she left, "Well kids, looks like it's just us, anyone up for another round?"

Booth looked over at Brennan and wished like hell he was holding her in his arms and they were anywhere but here, "Nah, I think I'm gonna bail too, thanks Carrie, Roxie it was nice to meet you both, thanks for the dance."

"You're welcome Tony, thank you." She said, "Carrie, let's go, I still have to get Wrath corralled up and he's tricky during the day, I can't imagine how he is at night."

Sighing Carrie said, "Okay, geez…you guys are like a bunch of old people, it's just barely midnight and I'm already going home."

"Maybe we can come back this weekend and close the place down," Roxie said with a grin as she grabbed her jacket and put it on. The two of them started to walk out and she turned back to Booth and winked and smiled just for him. He smiled back and grabbed his own coat, about 15 feet behind them he saw what was going to happen before it actually did and although he could've stopped it, he didn't.

The girls walked by one of the few remaining groups of cowboys in the bar and a large guy, wearing a flannel and a baseball cap, reached over and pinched Brennan's butt as she walked by. "Hey baby, if your cowboy can't do it for you, I know I can climb in the saddle." His buddies laughed loudly as she turned to see him grinning at her, his handlebar mustache drooping low on his face. She stepped over to him and said, "Don't touch me, I guarantee you don't want your friends to have to pick your fat ass up off the floor when I'm done with you." She turned to go and he reached his hand out and laid it on her shoulder, "Hey, who you callin…"He didn't get to finish speaking before she had grabbed his hand, rolled her hip into him and flipped him over her shoulder. Putting her cowboy clad foot on his throat she said with hardly a pause in breath, "I told you not to touch me."

"I'm sorry Ma'am," he wheezed as she removed her boot from his throat. Booth and Carrie both were trying hard not to laugh out loud as his friends fell over themselves to try to pick their buddy up. Carrie looped her arm back through Brennan's and said, "Hmmm…well, I know we don't need to worry about you do we?"

Brennan just smiled as they left the bar, at Carrie's truck she hugged her and told her she'd see her in the morning. She waved to Booth as he walked over to his dilapidated truck and she climbed into her shiny silver Ford.

Shaking his head at the injustice of it all, he got a dinosaur that barely ran and she got a brand new state of the art fully loaded beautiful piece of machinery. She started her truck and pulled out. He got into his truck and when it finally started, Carrie was gone and he couldn't see Brennan's taillights anymore. He leaned his head back and decided that he was going to call her, he dialed her number and waited for her to answer, mentally rehearsing what he was going to say.

"Booth-what's a matter, need a jump?" She asked with laughter in her voice.

"No Bones, actually, I was wondering, can I come over?"


	14. Chapter 11

**BOAB**

**CH11**

"No Bones, actually, I was wondering, can I come over?"

The silence lasted so long that he wasn't sure they still had a phone connection. He looked at the phone to see what the screen said and putting it back to his ear he almost didn't hear her reply, "Booth, I don't think that would be a good idea. I've still got to get my horses into the barn and I've got to get up early, Mal and I are making some house calls tomorrow. I agree that we need to get together, I've heard some interesting things and I'm sure you've got something to share as well, but tonight isn't the night."

She was reluctant to say no, every part of her cried out to say yes, except that damn hyper rational mind of hers. As much as it seemed they were on some sort of otherworldly vacation and were kids playing dress-up, they were here to solve a murder. Booth sighed inwardly and said, "You're right, I'll call you tomorrow, maybe we can compare notes then."

"Thank you Booth," She said quietly.

"It's okay Bones, by the way, you looked great tonight. Nice hip action with the drunk too." He grinned to himself thinking how much he liked when she defended herself, it was so hot.

"You looked pretty accurate yourself tonight, I know that the girls were all pretty excited about the fresh 'meat' I believe they called you and Curtis. I'll talk to you tomorrow Booth, be safe."

"You too Bones, see you tomorrow." He said as he hung up the phone and added mentally, "I love you."

Brennan dropped the phone onto the seat next to her and tried to get her mind organized. So far, she knew that Chuck had been dating both of the victims, Steff was related to one of the victims, Danni dated Chuck and still carried a pretty big torch for him, Dirk and Carrie were related, Stella had a child, where was the child though? She also knew that both victims were last seen at this rodeo and the police had released Chuck. She ruminated on the connections as she drove, although she didn't approve of conjecture in her lab, she did apply it sometimes when she was by herself. She decided tomorrow after work, come hell or high water she was going to get groceries, and then look over the case file from the morgue to see if something jumped out at her. She also needed to call Angela and set up the transfer of data to the Jeffersonian so that they could get to work on the evidence they had so far.

She pulled into her long driveway and her headlights splashed into the woods around the gravel driveway illuminating some deer grazing. They all stopped and stared before bounding away and into the deeper woods. The outside security lights came on as she passed the cabin heading to the back to park. All three horses were standing in the corner of the pasture nearest the house. Fury nickered to her as she got out of the truck and he and Charcoal presses closer to the fence, "You two are real attention hounds," She said with a smile as she walked to the fence. Petting each of them at the same time, she noticed that although Wrath moved away from the fence when she walked up, he didn't bolt away. She went into the barn, turned on the lights and entered Fury's stall and exited into the pasture. He and Charcoal turned and trotted towards her and she was easily able to get them into their stalls for the night. She checked their hay and water and shot the bolts on their gates.

Although it had been raining somewhat, it wasn't overly cold so she decided to leave the top part of the gates open. She moved into Wrath's stall and wondered what it would take to get the big horse in there. She was out of granola bars and was very tired. Not to mention, her white tank top was soaked through and she desperately wanted out of the mini skirt. To her surprise, he was standing right outside the entrance to the stall. His big almond shaped eyes were fixated on her and he was barely moving. She reached up to touch his neck and he stamped and side stepped but didn't leave. Resting her hand on his neck until he was comfortable she began to stroke him softly, whispering to him the whole time. She gently grabbed a bit of his mane and tugged and although he threw his head back causing her hand to slip slightly, he followed her in. As soon as he'd cleared the gate, she locked it and turned back to him. He had moved back into the corner, but his ears weren't flat against his skull as they'd been this morning, he seemed to accept that for now she wasn't going to hurt him. Still wary of him, she backed out of the stall and told them all shed see them in the morning.

She went into the cabin and made sure the doors were locked before walking to her bedroom and pulling her shirt off as she went. She sat on her bed and peeled the boots off and then got into her nightgown. Washing her face, she again went back over what she knew about the connections and the murder itself. Crawling into bed, she expected to be awake for a long time to come, but sleep claimed her as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Booth knew she was right, he didn't like it, but he knew that what she was saying was true. He dropped the phone on the seat and tried to concentrate on the wet roadway. He would rather sleep in the truck than in the hotel, but he was exhausted so decided it really didn't matter where he hung his hat; he wasn't going to last much longer. He chuckled to himself remembering that it wasn't all that long ago he was good to go for much longer than he'd been tonight. He pulled into the lot and parked next to his trailer. He stretched as he got out and locked the doors. Why bother? He thought with a grimace. Walking towards the barn, he'd check on Gunn and then go to bed. The office lights were off and aside from one other light barely shining through the window of a room on the second floor, the rest of the hotel was deep in slumber.

He went into the barn wondering if Leo was allowed out at night and was relieved to be able to check on Gunn without being accosted by the giant dog. Gunn was standing in his stall, his head bowed and Booth watched him for a second before he realized that the buckskin was sleeping. Grinning he patted the top of the stall and headed into his room. He turned his laptop on as he undressed and heard the ping indicating he had an email. He opened it up and read the dossier on Dr. Reynolds, he wasn't able to glean anything from his cursory reading, and figured he'd do a little more checking tomorrow after work. His gut was telling him that was the angle to pursue. He pulled a notepad out of his bag and wrote down what he knew. Both of Chuck's girlfriends were killed, one in a fire, one murdered, Dr. Reynolds was enamored with Bones…Roxie he amended mentally, Dirk and Carrie were related and both victims had been in the rodeo.

Turning off the bedside light so that he didn't have to see what may be on the sheets he was sliding onto he thought about what the next day would bring and wondered how soon he and Bones would be able to get together to compare notes. Drifting off to sleep, he smiled drowsily as he pictured her hip throwing the drunk and remembered the feel of her skin under his fingers as they danced.


	15. Chapter 12

BOAB CH12 (Fluff because the sisters demanded it…)

Brennan woke up and got ready to go to work, pulling on the tiny t-shirt with the bucking bronco on the front, she thought how very different a few days could be. She was wearing different clothes, listening to different music; completely at ease doing something different at 'work', she had new acquaintances and new responsibilities with the horses. She was even seeing Booth in a different light. Where he was usually so confident, bordering on cocky, he was instead reserved. She went into the kitchen intent on getting a cup of coffee, before once again realizing, she still had to go grocery shopping. Sighing she put her hand on her head and thought, _get it together Brennan!_ She pulled on her work boots and went out to feed and clean up after her three loaner horses.

As she entered the barn she was greeted by Fury and Charcoal, once again coming to the forefront of their stalls to shove their soft noses into her hands. She stroked each of them between their ears and down their noses, before opening their gates and quickly cleaning their stalls. Next, she turned to Wrath who was once again ignoring her. Deciding that she needed coffee more than she needed to deal with an emotionally stunted horse, she opened the gate allowing him to bolt across the pasture. She paused after shoveling his stall and watched him run, carefree and spirited. She briefly wondered what it would be like to ride him, to harness that raw power. Maybe if they solved this case, she might just give it a try.

She put the shovel away and was starting to come out of the stall when she smelled fresh, hot coffee. Turning towards the smell her entire core melted at the sight before her. Booth was lounging against the main barn door, from head to toe looking like a cowgirl's wet dream. He had dark brown boots on, tight light blue jeans, a tight navy t-shirt and a jean jacket, along with the straw cowboy hat, and sexy half smile he was simply…stunning. After taking her time looking him over, she noticed the two cups of hot coffee in his hands along with a white bakery bag. Her mouth began to water, or was it still watering from looking at him?

"Hi Booth," She said, "What would I do without you bringing me breakfast?"

"I don't know Bones, it just wouldn't be morning if I didn't bring you coffee before we went to work. While I was running this morning I remembered that you said you didn't have any groceries, which made me realize that you wouldn't have any coffee either, and I care too much about my fellow man to unleash that beast on an unsuspecting public." He chuckled slightly at her indignant look as she stalked towards him, or towards the coffee.

Handing a cup to her along with the bakery bag, he reached up with his free hand and pulled a piece of straw from her hair. Slowly, he stroked the soft auburn waves as he pulled it free, his brown eyes locked on hers. Time seemed to stop, the dust motes floating in the rays of the early morning sunshine slanting through the barn froze in mid air, the bird song no longer floated on the breeze and the breath that plumed from their mouths in the cold mountain air was suspended between them. "Thanks," she said shakily, taking in the slight tremor in his hand. Booth didn't stop, instead, he put his hand on the back of her neck, tilting her head slightly, he stepped into her and said, "I'm sorry Roxie, I've wanted to do this since last night and I know that Bones wouldn't approve, but I just can't stop thinking about it." he leaned in and closed his eyes, as instinctively she leaned towards him, closing her own eyes. Their lips met in a soft, sweet kiss, pressed together they were both yearning to go further, but each afraid to make the first move. Deciding it was now or never, he lightly stroked her bottom lip with his tongue, encouraging her mouth to open slightly, her tongue met his between her parted lips and they embraced deeply.

Still holding his coffee, he wasn't able to take her face between his large hands to stroke the skin of her face, so he settled for lightly rasping his thumb over the back of her neck as they tasted and teased each other. She stepped even closer into him, feeling her body respond to his nearness and sighed slightly.

Hearing her sigh, he bit back a groan of his own, he didn't want to scare her, but wanted instead to push her to the floor and make love to her like she'd never been loved before, it was what he'd wanted to do for years, just throw the case to the side and for once act on what they wanted rather than what was expected. Suddenly, there was an ear splitting screech from behind them, tearing apart from each other she spun around as Booth dropped his coffee reaching for the pistol at the small of his back. Wrath was standing in the doorway of his stall, tossing his head and stamping his feet. He was lathered from his run and was blowing and snorting heavily as he vied for her attention. "What the hell is that?" he said from behind her, his heart beginning to beat again in a normal rhythm.

She said quietly, "That's Wrath. He's my horse and apparently, he's jealous."

"A lot of that going around," he muttered.

"What?" She said turning back to him slightly, keeping one eye on Wrath.

"Nothing Bones, how about I let you finish what you were doing and I'll meet you outside the barn, I've got to get my paperwork together for you anyway."

"Okay Booth," She said distractedly, not even fully aware that he was there. Instead her mind was reeling from the kiss and from the sheer hysteria that had been in Wrath's scream. She took her coffee and set it down on a bale of straw outside his stall and held her hand out to him. Cautiously, he stuck his nose out as far as he could without moving his feet. Booth watched the exchange for a moment and then turned and left the barn. He walked outside and leaned heavily against the outside wall. _What the hell were you thinking Seeley? _He berated himself. But in the next moment, he was re-living the sweet kiss, the feel of her hot skin under his hand, her body pressed against his. He adjusted his jeans and tried to think of hockey players on ice to relieve the pressure his arousal was causing on his fly.

Calming Wrath down, Brennan walked out of the barn and right past Booth. He started to say something to her when he realized she was doing something that he'd never heard her do before. She was talking to herself, "I can't believe that stupid horse stopped him. I should've let him finish what he started, that damn glue bag be dammed. "

Booth smiled and followed her, his boots grating on the gravel; she turned and grinned at him, "I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there."

"Roxie, did you mean that?" he asked, raising his eyes to hers, he noticed the jeans and t-shirt when he'd gone into the barn, he'd just now realized however how very tight they were and how very little the shirt was. "Roxie meant it Booth, I won't lie. But you and I, we've been down this path before, we have a partnership and a responsibility to that poor girl to find out who hurt her Booth. You know that." Her words were direct and full of truth, but the flush on her cheeks, her eyes bright with passion made the words seem like a feeble excuse. "I didn't ask Bones what she thought," he paused, "I asked Roxie what she thought."

Brennan looked at him, the much needed coffee cup forgotten; she took in the full lips, the strong nose, his broad forehead and sculptured jaw, his wide shoulders and narrow hips, long legs encased in light blue denim. Raising her eyes back to him, she saw the unasked question in them and she made her decision, whether it was right or wrong no longer mattered. She dropped the coffee and stepped closer to him, so close that they were sharing the same space, she lightly wet her lip and said, "Tony, I…"


	16. Chapter 13

BOAB

CHAPTER 13 (NC-17- rated chapter all you kids skip this one!)

_Previously…_

_She dropped the coffee and stepped closer to him, so close that they were sharing the same space, she lightly wet her lip and said, "Tony, I…"_

Anything that she had to say was lost when his lips crashed into hers as he reached behind her and took her butt in his hands and lifted her around his waist, instinctively she wrapped her long legs around his waist. Never breaking the kiss, his hand stroked her back and was soon tangled in her hair as he pulled her even closer. He began to walk towards the house as she took his hat off and held it as she brought her other hand to the back of his neck, their kisses igniting their nerve endings like a match to a firecracker. Booth pushed the door open with her still in his arms and carried her to the island in the middle of the kitchen, setting her down on the edge of the counter, he pressed his rock hard cock against the juncture of her thighs causing her to groan and push his jacket off. His arms tangled in the sleeves, he couldn't do anything but continue his assault on her mouth, soon she had the jacket off and pushed it to the floor where his hat had already been tossed.

Brennan pulled away from his mouth and pulled her own t-shirt off, her breasts were encased in a salmon pink lace bra and he quickly found the front clasp and with a deftness that surprised even him, had it off in no time. He took her breasts in his hands, thumbs rasping over her nipples which caused her to gasp out loud, he looked to her face, her eyes were closed in rapture and he ground himself tightly against her, she grabbed for the hem of his t-shirt and he helped her shuck it over his head as finally they pressed themselves together without the barrier of cotton. She ran her hand over his back, tracing his muscles which she'd always admired and now was able to fully appreciate, bringing her hand around to his arm, she clasped his bicep in her hand as he instinctively flexed. His own hands were mapping her soft skin, tracing his own path from the top of her jeans, up her ribs, pausing to stroke her breasts and hold their heavy weight. Nothing in his imagination could have prepared him for her. She fit his hands perfectly; he brought his hands up to her face, his thumbs rasping over her jaw line as she fumbled with his belt. He reached down and assisted her and in one movement it was undone, she continued her exploration south, encountering a mountain of flesh that was straining to be released from its confines. She cupped him through the jeans, squeezing gently his balls and pressing against the base of his cock with the heel of her hand. Tony moaned and pulled himself away from her mouth, resting his head briefly in the vee where her neck and shoulder met, before he began to trace her collarbone with his tongue in tandem with her exploration of his crotch. She unzipped his zipper as he laid her back on the counter and began to kiss down her chest. He nuzzled her breast before taking a straining nipple in his mouth. He bit slightly and as she groaned and writhed under his mouth, he soothed her quickly with his tongue. He moved to her right breast and repeated himself as she wound her fingers through his short hair and pressed him closer to her.

Brennan felt the cold counter as it meshed with her fever hot skin and she relished the contrast, all the while mentally demanding that he hurry and alternately wishing that this moment could last forever in time. Booth was cataloguing every taste and texture her skin provided, he'd waited so long for this to happen, and he couldn't believe that she'd finally given in. Granted it was Roxie that had agreed, and even if she was making love to Tony, he, Booth was making love to his Bones. He continued to trail kisses and his tongue ever slower and lower, pausing to linger at her belly button, her stomach muscles fluttering at the new sensation his mouth was causing her. Wetter than she'd ever been in her life, he could smell her arousal and it made him even harder. Allowing her to guide his head with her hands, he started to unbutton her jeans and was anticipating tasting her, swallowing her wetness and worshipping her with his mouth when she groaned brought her legs up to his shoulders. That was all the encouragement he needed, tasting her would have to wait. Right now he needed to sheath himself in her. He pulled his own zipper down and was trying to free himself from the tighter jeans when she looked to her left and saw a glint of sun on a mirror. A mirror attached to a truck that was kicking up dust as it drove down her long gravel driveway. "Tony, stop," she panted, squinting slightly to see the vehicle more clearly.

Booth had no intention of stopping now; he had pushed his jeans down just slightly over his hips and was still kissing her stomach, just above her belt line, his hand gently caressing her breast as he wet his forefinger and thumb and took her nipple between them, he had her pants undone and was able to see the top of her matching salmon panties and could feel the heat rising from her as he kissed even lower when she said again, "Stop! You have to stop!" she tugged at his head slightly, still delirious from what his mouth, his oh so talented mouth was doing and where his hands were. Booth nipped the pale strip of skin just above the panties and was about to slide his thumb under the band to pull them down when she slapped him upside the head and said, "BOOTH STOP NOW SOMEONE IS HERE!"

Confused and suddenly feeling like a teenager caught at his girlfriend's house after hours, he looked up, his face flushed and breathing raggedly said, "What?" She turned his head forcefully to see the truck that was almost to the front of the house and was slowing. "Holy shit, who is that Bones?"

"I don't know Booth, but since you and I aren't supposed to know each other, it's not a good idea that they find us with your head between my legs and your dick in my hand right?" she pushed herself up and slid off the counter, buttoning her jeans and trying to put her bra on at the same time. For his part, he was trying to tuck his protesting and very indignant penis back into his pants, which given how tight they were when he wasn't as hard as a baseball bat was not very easy. "Were you expecting someone?" he asked, looking for his shirt and trying to buckle his belt.

"No, I don't know who that is, hurry up, you have to get out of here!" She said, shoving her shirt at him as he picked his up and switched her, shoving hers back at her. "Crap, I was supposed to send that stuff to Angela too!" She said noticing that her laptop was open and her notes were laying next to it. "I think that's the least of our worries right now Bones," he said as he picked his jacket and hat up off the floor. They both saw the truck park and the door swing open, her heart crashed into her stomach as she said, "Where did you park?" and looked him in the eye.

"I'm behind your truck, as long as whoever that is doesn't go behind the house, we'll be fine." His last word was barely heard over the knocking on the heavy wooden door. Thrusting her hand through her hair and looking down to see if she was buttoned up she pushed him towards the rear of the house, "Go! Hurry!" she hissed through her teeth. He grabbed the laptop and notes in his free hand and ducked behind the guest bedroom door.

"Coming!" She hollered towards the door, checking her reflection in the mirror outside the kitchen entrance. She looked like she was just about to be fucked. Nothing I can do about that now, she thought to herself and forced a smile onto her perplexed face. Opening the door, she had to squint slightly as the sun was behind the large man standing there. He shifted slightly and into the shadow and she said, "-Malcolm! Hi, come in, what are you doing here so early? Am I late?" she looked to the clock over the mantle and saw that she wasn't due at his office for at least an hour.

"No Roxie," he said coming inside, his hands full of two cups of coffee and a bakery bag. "I heard you tell the girls that you needed to shop last night, so I figured I'd bring you some coffee and then we could leave from here for our house calls. I thought that if we left earlier, I could show you some things around town and then you'd have time to shop before the store closed."

"That was really nice of you Mal, thanks, please, come in, I'm sorry, I was rushing around and trying to get ready." She led the way to the kitchen, praying he wouldn't ask to see the rest of the house, "I'm sorry but this is all the further you should go, I'm still unpacking and the place is a real rats' nest." She shrugged and smiled at him.

"Oh, that's okay, some other time. I didn't know how you liked your coffee"-

_Cream with two sugars Booth thought on the other side of the door, you suck up._

"So I just got black and brought some stuff, and I got a couple of bear claws too, I hope you like them."

_She hates bear claws! She likes plain old fashioned donuts she can pull apart you ponce, he thought. _

"Great! Thank you" she said as she doctored her coffee, her heartbeat finally slowing down, she took a bear claw and took a hearty bite, "These are great, just what the doctor ordered."

_Booth groaned, he could see right through her, surely this overly concerned for the welfare of his partner and soon to be lover could see it too._

Instead Malcolm laughed at her goofy joke and leaned back against the counter, crossing his long legs. She asked, "Will I need to bring anything, like a coat or smock or something for these calls today?"

"No, I'd bring another shirt though; you may get that one dirty if we end up having to head out to the Chase Ranch. Their top brood mare is overdue and I told them I'd make a run out to check her out." He was eyeing the tiny t-shirt and could see that her nipples were still hard and pressing through the silk of her bra and into the soft cotton of the shirt.

"Okay, well, if it's okay with you, I'm ready to go, we can drink this in the truck, I'm anxious to get started!" She said.

"Alright then, let's get going." He smiled down at her and started to the door.

Booth lightly tossed the laptop onto the bed, shucked his jacket as quietly as he could and stripped his t-shirt off; he'd be dammed if she was going out with this shyster in another one of her too tiny tee's.

"Let me just grab a spare shirt and I'll meet you right out front," she told him as she edged to the guest bedroom.

He smiled and nodded and taking his own coffee and the bag of claws left the house. She walked carefully into the bedroom and Booth was standing there shirtless, "You have to be kidding me," she said in irritation, "I'm not going to finish that with my boss out there!"

"Relax Bones, take my shirt and keep yours on, would you? Is this stuff ready to go to Angela?" he asked nodding to the laptop and her notes.

"Yes." She told him, accepting his shirt.

"Okay, I'll send them when you two leave, and then I'm heading out too. This," he gestured between the two of them, "isn't over." He said as he took the two steps to her, grabbed her arms and pressed her against the door, she felt his still hard arousal as he kissed her. "Be safe Bones." He whispered against her mouth, already dreading letting her out of his sight.

"You too Tony, I'll call you tonight." Roxie winked and adjusted her shirt, reached over and trailed her finger up his crotch to this belt buckle and said softly, "Mount up cowboy." She turned and left and he heard the tumbler turn as she locked the door. When he heard the gravel crunching under tires, he came out of the room and booted up her laptop. He called up her file and started to email it to Angela when he saw an icon on the desktop, labeled "Tony". He decided that he was going to have to get a look at that at a later time, now he had just enough time to get the email sent, and stop to get himself a coffee on his way to the arena. Sighing, he adjusted himself again and said aloud, "Come on, you've got to go down man, I can't ride with a tent pole in my pants."


	17. Chapter 14

**BOAB CH14**

Booth finished sending the email to Angela and put the lid down on the laptop. He was going to be late, he still had to get a new shirt, Gunn and coffee, but he sat at the island, his booted feet up on the rung of the stool he sat on and his hands in front of him as if in prayer. Silently he stared into the paddock beyond the kitchen window. He didn't see the horses, he didn't see the tree line, instead he saw his reflection. Watery and indistinct in the window glass, he felt transparent, as transparent as the window he stared through. He thought of Temperance. Not Brennan, not even Bones and not Roxie. He loved them all separately but the one he wanted the most was Temperance. Fragile, insecure, frightened Temperance. The little girl still looking for her parents, looking for someone to love her; as Brennan she was tough as nails, the woman that could subdue a man twice her size with a well placed kick, or stab you through the heart with a scathing glance. As Bones, she was a genius; she could spout relevant facts that would make even the most difficult puzzle legible, she could see through the puzzle straight to the solution. Roxie, aahhh Roxie, she was the sensual and playful side of all of them. She could set his body aflame with a single glance, with the touch of her hand he was melting and her lips were sweeter than the apple pie he dearly loved. Slower than he could afford to actually be, he began to see the outside world through the window and glancing at the clock over the mantle he swore under his breath, grabbing his hat, he exited through the back door.

He headed to his truck and looking down noticed that he was at least more comfortable in the tight jeans. As he started to get into his truck, the calm of the morning was shattered by an ear splitting scream. He stepped out of the truck and headed towards the open paddock and barn and saw the giant bay staring at him. Wrath reared on his back legs and pawed the air, tossing his head before he screamed again. Head down now, he stared at Booth as if in challenge. Booth started towards the paddock and the horse screamed again and reared. Putting his hands out in front of him he said quietly, "You win, I'm leaving." He went around to the driver's door and climbed in, luckily the beat to crap truck started on the first crank and he pulled out from behind her giant trailer. Looking into the rear view mirror as he drove down her driveway, he saw Wrath come up to the edge of the fence and continue to stare at him. "Stupid animals, I hate animals." He muttered to himself, pulling onto the county road that led him towards the dilapidated Dew Drop Inn, his home away from home.

"That was very kind of you to bring me coffee Mal, I'm very grateful." Roxie said as they sat in companionable silence. "I didn't mind, I know how hard it is when you first move somewhere, you take the little things for granted, for instance, coffee." He smiled sideways at her. Glancing over to him she saw a clipboard mounted on the dash, "Is that what we have planned for today?" She questioned.

Nodding and then saying, "Yes, we've got some sheep to inoculate, there's a llama that needs to have a tooth pulled, and a plow horse that stepped in a hole, didn't break his leg but twisted it pretty bad so I want to check him out. On the way back into town, we'll stop at the Chase ranch and see how Harmony is doing."

"Harmony?" She couldn't help but giggle slightly.

"Yeah, Cordelia Chase has a silly sense of humor. She said she named the horse after some girl she saw on a TV show once. That's as far as I wanted to know, so I didn't ask her to elaborate." His grin made him look younger and incredibly handsome.

"So, you know about being in a new place? You haven't always lived her then?" she said, trying to pull some information out of him that may or may not be pertinent to the case.

"I moved here about 15 years ago actually, from Illinois. I was fresh out of grad school and wasn't willing to work in an established practice. I love animals, but I didn't want to only be taking care of dogs that had more bling than an ice dancer or have to deal with house cats too fat to walk. I wanted to help people and animals that were hard workers and made a difference, so I applied to work out here with the previous vet, Dr. Price. He was getting ready to retire, we worked together for about 2 years and then I bought the practice from him. Now, most of the county comes to us for their animal needs, including the rodeo and all the rough stock. It's not caviar and champagne, but I like it."

"Wow, that's a pretty big leap of faith to take, moving from Illinois to Wyoming. That's something I could never do." She said, knowing in fact that's exactly what she did. She moved from Illinois to Washington DC.

"What about you? You mentioned that you've been all over, why the roaming? Ever think of settling down?" He knew that Dr. Brennan resided mostly in DC, but still traveled all over the world to go on digs. She worked at some museum or lab or something, he wasn't sure but he thought he'd read that on her book jacket. He reminded himself to look that up when he got home. He'd been wondering if she was doing some research for a new book, and why she was here.

"I like to try different places out, when I start to feel like I'm experiencing déjà vu, I move on. It's not the best way to live I'm sure, but I get to meet a lot of different people and have new experiences. So it's not too bad. The hardest part is I make friends and then move on, so I leave them behind. The horses and I manage though." She started to tell him about 'her' horses and they began to talk about animal experiences in general as they drove to the sheep ranch.

Booth pulled up to his trailer at the hotel and began to back up so he could hitch it up. Getting out setting the post and hooking up the electrical connections, he was surprised to see Scoot out in the paddock already; he stood up and looked towards the fence, hoping to see Clay. Once the trailer was hooked up, he took off at a jog to his room, unlocking the protesting door he rushed in and grabbed the first t-shirt he could find. It was a soft heather gray color and said, "Real Cowboys Ride Bareback". He shook his head and decided he was going to kill Angela when he got back to the world. He pulled the shirt on and right back out the door, he headed to the barn. Just as he came around the corner, he saw Gunn coming out of the barn, walking slowly and carefully. Clay was leading the buckskin out on a short lead and was using him as a brace. As docile as a lamb Gunn was content to be led by the youngster.

"Hey Tony!" Clay said noticing him standing and watching him lead the horse out of the barn, "I saw you leave this morning and didn't know if you'd be back, so I thought I'd let Gunn out with Scoot, is that okay?" he looked up at the man from under his baseball cap.

"Thank you Clay! I really appreciate it, I had to run an errand before I head to the arena, I'm glad you were there to take care of him for me."

"It's okay, I saw you go on your run. I used to run sometimes too," he said looking down at his slightly twisted leg, "but now I like to walk, I can see a lot more when I walk." His grin was infectious and Booth found himself no longer feeling sorry for him, but wanting to know more about him personally. Not just because of the case either. "Well, I like to walk too. Maybe if I get some spare time, you me and Leo can go for a walk around here, I'd like to get a feel for the place."

"Does that mean you're gonna stay here?" Clay asked his eyes wide.

"I think it does buddy, I don't need to stay at the arena, this place is perfect." He told him.

"Gramma will be really happy Tony, she told me that she felt safer when there was a cowboy in the place, something about really knowing his way around."

Tony grimaced slightly wondering about the double entendre and feeling slightly queasy, "Well, that's good," he said, "I'm gonna load Gunn up, I lost track of time, so I've got to go or I'm gonna be shoveling stalls all day." He tipped Clay's hat and took the lead from his hand. Gunn followed him and loaded right into the trailer. "I'll see you later okay Clay?"

"Bye Tony!" Clay waved as Booth got into the truck and began to drive away. Clay climbed up on the fence and whistled for Leo. The big dog came trotting out of the barn and sat at the base of the post as Clay did what he did most days, he watched Scoot in the pasture and wondered what it would be like to be able to be a cowboy. A famous cowboy like his dad had been and how he and Jax had always wanted to be. He'd never known his dad, but his mama had told him and Jax stories about him. His mom had been a rodeo queen and had met his dad on the circuit. Sometimes he asked his gramma about his dad, but she always got sad and told him to go play. No matter how much he thought about it though, he was after all a little boy and little boys often got sidetracked, and it was a couple of hours later that Clay was adventures in the pasture with his faithful dog and pony by his grammas' cigarette roughened voice, "Clayton! C'mon boy, we've got to go into town."

Clay looked over his shoulder at his gramma and said, "Okay Gramma, I'm coming."


	18. Chapter 15

BOAB CH15

Booth pulled into the arena parking lot just as Curtis was unloading Honey, he slid the truck into neutral and let it diesel to a stop, cringing at the blue smoke pouring out of the exhaust pipe. _Great, now an oil leak?_ He thought disgustedly. Climbing out of the truck, he put a baseball cap on and grabbed his gloves, tucking them into his pocket. He went to the trailer and started to get Gunn out when Curtis came over, "Hey Tony! How's your head?" The young cowboy asked with a bright smile.  
"Not bad, I got a decent amount of sleep, what about you?" He pulled the bridle off the wall of the trailer and hung it on the saddle horn. "I bet you thought about a certain girl all night, didn't you? Big boobs, doe eyes…" he grinned over Gunn's back at the kid.

Curtis blushed and grinned himself, "Well, I won't say she didn't cross my mind, what about you? Roxie is hot as hell Man, are you gonna try and hit that?" He'd turned to make sure the checkrein on Honey was secure which was lucky considering the look that passed over Booth's features before he collected himself, reminded himself he was Tony Scallion and not Seeley Booth and she was Roxie Morgan, and not Temperance Brennan. Curtis was talking like any young man would about a girl.

"Who knows, Carrie's pretty hot too." He winked and turned quickly when Dirk said behind him, "Hey! That's my sister Tony and besides you're not her type." He laughed at the stricken look on Booth's face and finished, "Doug wants you girls to hurry up, he says to meet him behind the chutes, put your horses in the paddock for now."

Curtis and Tony both agreed and mounting up, they rode the short distance to the paddock where they let the horses go after looping the reins to prevent them from standing on them and snapping one or hurting themselves. The two cowboys headed to the chutes where Chuck and Doug were already waiting.

"Thank you for joining us today gentlemen, I'm glad you could work us into your schedule." Doug started off sarcastically, "Sorry Doug." Curtis said, Booth was silent, he was older than this guy and didn't feel it necessary to lay 'em out and measure them. Doug pointed to where the animals were brought into the main chutes and how and when they were to get them separated for whatever event that would be next. Next he explained how and when the animals would be coming through, which order the events would be held in, when to open the main gates for the opening and closing ceremonies. After he'd shown them the basics, he told them to go clear out the rear stalls so they could get their gear in there and start clown school.

Curtis and Tony were both working their way the center of the jumbled mess of broken tack, broken props and associated rodeo clap trap, while Chuck had begun to move larger pieces in the far corner. Angling over towards him, Tony said, "How long have you been here Chuck?"

"Here? Like this barn or this town?" he asked over his shoulder at him.

"Town I guess," Tony said.

"I've lived here my whole life, I was born here. I left for about three years after high school to try a little college; turns out I'm not the book type. So I came home. Been working for this outfit ever since."

"So I guess you know all the dirt around here huh? What's the story with the girls we met last night? Are there any others that hang out that we should know about?" Tony asked him working side by side now. Curtis drifted over, "Yeah, what's the story with Danni? Are you two something?"

"Danni?" Chuck snorted slightly, "Danni's a good kid, she's fun to hang out with and she's stacked but I'm not interested in her. We went out in high school for like a week and she's been chasing me ever since. I've known her since I was five, so, it's like dating my sister."

"Man, that's gotta suck, she sure has a hard on for you." Curtis said.

"She was pretty pissed when Stella and I started dating that's for sure," He laughed, "She broke the headlight out in my truck at the big bonfire, 'course, she was pretty hammered, Dirk said she power hurled in his truck all over the inside of the windshield when he was taking her and Carrie home."

"Bonfire?" Tony asked.

"Yeah, right before the rodeo starts and before the actual competitors all show up, the staff have a bonfire above the ridge. If it's nice out, then we stay up there over night, you have to ride in, it's too remote for wheels, but if its bad weather than we just party and then come back and stay at the rental cabin at the bottom of the road."

"We have one to close the rodeo too, it's more to blow off steam and make fun of all the greenies that show up hoping to make it big." He stopped to wipe his brow off, his hat in his hand. "What about that Roxie chick? She's pretty hot, I'm a blonde man myself, but I could switch flavors pretty easily I think."

"Yeah, I don't know, she's pretty flirty but kinda…I don't know, like she's too good or something." Tony said, "What about Carrie?"

"What about her?"

"What's her story? She's pretty cute, nice bod, what's her action?"

"She was dating some bull rider from Manitoba for awhile, don't know if she still is or not. She's a piece of work though, don't piss her off. She and Tug's wife are pretty good friends and before they were married and not even dating he and Carrie had a little thing and…" he started to laugh, "I'm sorry, I just can't help but laugh when I think of it, anyway," he wiped his eyes, still chuckling, "She caught him in the barn at her place with this dumb ass buckle bunny, I mean this chick was dumber than a bag of hammers, anyway, he's feeling her up and telling her all this crap trying to score, drunk off his ass and Carrie comes in and starts raising holy hell; screaming and yelling, threatening him with anything she can find, she grabs a lariat, now Carrie's a pretty good little cowgirl in her own right and she ropes him, throws him down and starts to hog tie him." He started to laugh again, just picturing this in his head. Tony and Curtis also had big grins on their faces trying to imagine it.

"So she's got him trussed up, the bunny's trying to get her shirt back on, and her shoes and avoid Carrie, who's gunnin' for her too now and she takes off running, runs right into one of the timbers in the barn, knocks her out. Carrie gets a marker and writes "two bit tramp" on the girl's forehead and then leaves 'em both laying on the floor of the barn. When she comes back later that night, the girl is gone and Tug is asleep, remember he'd been drinking pretty heavily. So, while he's still passed out…" he stopped and bent over laughing, wiping tears from his eyes he says chokingly, "I'm sorry, this part is funny, she glues his…b-butt ch-cheeks together!" Chuck howled with laughter. "Then she untied him and left him there, pants down, butt stuck together, hung over…" he kept giggling as Tony and Curtis joined him, neither of them had seen it but could picture it pretty well, "So when he wakes up, he tries to stand and walk, turns out that's hard to do when your cheeks are stuck like that. Damn, it was the funniest thing. Needless to say, he and Carrie didn't date much longer and now she and his wife are pretty good friends."

The three cowboys stood there and laughed and we're starting to get back to work, still hitching their shoulders when the man of the hour himself walked by, "What's so funny ladies?" he asked, coming into the barn. The three of them turned and looked at him and then burst into hysterical laughter. He nodded along and said resignedly, "Ahh…you must have heard about Carrie and my butt. Well, laugh it up…you'll notice, no one has heard from that Canadian cowboy lately have they? She's been coming to the bar alone too. Wonder what he's glued to!" This caused all of them to start laughing all over again. Once they were composed and Tug had left, Tony said, "So Carrie is the enforcer, Danni is the re-con gal, Roxie is new, what about Steff?"

"Steff? She's pretty much a loner. She and Stella didn't get along that well, not as well as sisters should you'd think. She and Jake are doing something, but I don't know much more than that. She's pretty private really. If anything I'd say she was the one that you'd be better off just looking but not touching. She spends Sundays' with her nephew I do know that." He shrugged, "That's all I can really tell you, let's get going on this, I need to get Dagger ridden sometime today." Chuck was a lot less forthcoming with information about Steff and her sister than Tony wanted, but he was hoping he could get him to open up a little bit more.


	19. Chapter 16

BOAB CH 16

*Since you've all been so patient…

Brennan and Mal continued down the highway for another 15 miles before turning down a dirt road for another 3 miles. On both sides of the uneven and rutted road there were sheep grazing in the pastures. Thousands of sheep, here and there were pockets of little black faces dancing around their moms and grand ewes. Roxie laughed at their antics as they skipped about, "They are so cute, I could just take one of them home." She cooed through the rolled up passenger window. "You say that now, but sheep are only cute when they're little, than they need to be sheared, they smell and they totally ruin the pastures," Mal said, his nose slightly upturned. "They don't smell bad," she said looking back outside.

Mal reached over and turned the air off and rolled her window down. Brennan was hit with a wave of musty, rolling stench. Her stomach clenched slightly as she fumbled for the window button. Once it was rolled back up he turned the air back up and she leaned back in the seat, the house was coming into view. "Told you," he smirked. "Well, they're still cute, although I could definitely do without that smell!" she grinned over at him as he slowed the big truck down and pulled in behind the smaller barn. "So, what's on the agenda here?" She asked as she grabbed the clipboard again,

"We're going to give their latest batch of babies some shots, so you'll get to play with them a little bit, there's about 45 or so, it shouldn't take more than a few hours I think." He said as he got out of the front of the cab and opened up the back cab door to grab a medium sized tackle box. "What's in there?" she asked, as she came around the front of the truck.

"Fishing tackle, Roxie…It's a tackle box."

"Oh, sorry, I thought maybe you had some sheep whisperer things in there or something." She rolled her eyes and started to unlatch the toolbox on the side of the truck. "Nothing quite that mystic I'm afraid, the guy that owns this place makes custom flies and I wanted to get some while I was here." He started to walk towards the barn. "So you like to fish then?" She asked, following him, her arms full of pre-packaged inoculations. "No, I like to drown flies, nap and drink beer by the creek, however unfortunately I get lucky and manage to bring home a fish or two."

Roxie grinned; she enjoyed his sense of humor. He was similar to Booth in so many ways, physically they were a pretty good match, they both had warm, expressive brown eyes, she liked it when Booth was sarcastic too, however he always felt like he had to explain it to her, so he rarely spoke freely unless they were drinking. She found Malcolm refreshing and was starting to really get into this role.

Entering the barn, she was introduced to the owner of the ranch and while he and Malcolm talked a bit about fly rods, flies and brownies she looked over a short fence into a pen filled with little lambs, bleating and each one trying to get closer to the outside gate, she was fascinated by their little black faces. They had big dark eyes and fuzzy little muzzles. The two men came over and the three of them decided that they would just use the loading chute backwards and have one lamb at a time put into the chute, once inoculated; it would be released back into the flock. Roxie's job was to hold the lambs while Mal gave them their shot, and then the rancher would tag their ears. They got to work and it was soon very apparent to Brennan that she'd gotten soft working in the state of the art Jeffersonian lab, the work was hot, grueling and very physically demanding. She soon found that lambs don't really like to be shot in the butt with large needles, they also don't really like to be forced down a tiny chute and they _really_ didn't like being pierced through their ears. Their bleating was incessant and half way through the group that he had assembled, she and Mal took a break.

"Forty five or so? Isn't that what you said?" She leaned against the truck, and ice cold glass of tea in her hand, her hair pulled back into a sloppy pony tail and her t-shirt covered in lamb fuzz, dust and other things she was a little afraid to investigate further.

"So, maybe a few more than that, sixty?" Mal smiled at her and tipped his glass before removing his hat and wiping his brow with the back of his hand. He set his glass down on the truck hood and stripped his shirt off, tossing it into the cab of his truck. Roxie stared at his well defined back muscles and enjoyed the way his broad shoulders were tempered by his narrow waist. A light dusting of hair covered his well defined pectoral muscles and trailed down his tight six pack to disappear below the waistband of his jeans. She licked her lips and chugged the rest of her tea, "You ready to get back to work?" he said, noticing her appraisal.

"I'm ready when you are." She flicked her eyes to his and then quickly away. The rational, Brennan side of her brain told her that her body was merely responding to his because of his close physical proximity and the symmetry of his features were appealing. The Roxie side of her wanted to see if his lips were as soft as they appeared and if his hands could span her waistline, whether or not his butt was as hard as his jeans made it look and just how soft that hair on his chest was. Shaking her head slightly, she headed back into the stifling barn, pulling her t-shirt hem up through the collar; she turned her own shirt into something of a halter top. Mal said, "Elizabeth used to do that too, then she just started wearing sports' tops. She told me she was tired of her shirts being ruined or stretched out, I don't know how modest you are, but you might try it."

Knowing that Booth's head would just about explode if she walked around this man in nothing but a sports top, but liking the idea that he'd brought up the victim and his former employee, she wondered if she would be able to get him talking on the subject of Elizabeth, filing his suggestion in her mental file cabinet, she decided to try to do that very thing.


	20. Chapter 17

BOAB CH17

They finished the sheep inoculations and after Mal retrieved his tackle box and they chatted with the rancher for a few more minutes they were on their way to go pull a llama tooth. On the drive there, Mal wondered how he was going to broach the subject of her real identity. He was really impressed with her abilities around animals and he found that conversation with her was light and easy. Not to mention she was probably the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in real life. Whatever it was that she was hiding from he didn't want to compromise, but he had a business and a life here and wanted to know just what his role was.

His thoughts were interrupted as they pulled into the long driveway of their next stop. Running full tilt towards the driveway and without any intention of stopping was a large white horse, with a young boy clinging to his back like a monkey to a tree. Mal realized what was going to happen with enough time to slow the truck down, leaving about 20 feet between the nose of the truck and the place where the large horse landed after jumping the fence. The boy leaned up and pulled his hat off, waving it around his head and laughing as he slowed the big gelding down and trotted back to the now stopped truck.

"Dammit Connor, what they hell were you thinking?" Mal yelled as he got out of the truck. For her part, Brennan was trying desperately to take in what she'd just seen and calm her heart. She watched Mal grab the reins from the boy and blocking the sun from his eyes with his arm, continued to talk to him, pointing at both the truck and the fence. The boy, about ten years old had the composure to look slightly sorry, but even Brennan could see that he really wasn't. He nodded a couple of times and seemed to agree with Mal before Mal handed him the reins back and swatted the horse on the butt. The boy tipped his hat and trotted off down the driveway. Mal climbed back into the truck and sighed, "That boy is gonna get himself killed one of these days, and I just know I'm going to be there when it happens." He grinned slightly and looked over at Roxie, "Sorry Roxie that was Connor Chase, Cordelia's son. He told me that he came over to get his playstation game from Travis, the kid that lives here and wanted to see if Spike could jump the fence."

"Did he not see us?" she asked looking back towards where they'd pulled in to see the horse's heels kicking up dust as the boy egged him on.

"Yes, that's apparently why it seemed like so much fun. He's pure daredevil. I can't count the amount of times he's been in the hospital with broken bones, or cuts. I've never seen him without a bruise. Spikes' no better really, those two are pretty close, Spike's almost more like dog than horse."

"You must know them pretty well then?" She asked as they slowed and she pulled off her seat belt.

"Yes, Cordelia and I have known each other for quite some time; she's a real nice lady. She's a widow; Connor's dad was killed in Iraq when he was two. I go out and have dinner there once or twice a month, you know, that kind of thing."

Brennan couldn't help but think that there might be more than what he was saying, he seemed like a good catch and couldn't imagine why he and the widow hadn't hooked up. It never dawned on her that his relationship with Cordelia was really no different than hers with Booth. They also shared more than a few dinners, she loved Parker as if he was her own son, but she never even saw the parallel. Booth was her partner. Now, Tony…that was something else altogether. Tony was all Booth but with a little something else…Tony was _Boothier_ than even Booth was if that was possible.

The two of them got out of the truck and went into the barn. The rancher that lived here with his family was plowing a back field and Brennan could see the tractor slowly crawling along through the big open door to the rear of the barn. His wife met them inside, a tall slender woman; she was pregnant, holding a baby on her hip and the hand of a toddler. Brennan's eyes grew wide and then she quickly recovered. The woman smiled and said, "Its okay, I get that look a lot."

Brennan blushed even more and said, "I'm sorry, I just can't imagine looking after one child let alone three."

"Seven." The woman grinned and winked, "My oldest three are helping their dad in the field and my middle son is inside the house, probably not doing the dishes or sweeping the floor." She sat the baby down on a bale of hay and putting the toddler next to her on the bale told them both to sit still as she walked Mal and Roxie back to the where the llama was penned. Mal introduced Roxie, "This is my assistant Roxie Morgan, Roxie this is Faith Price." The two of them shook hands and Faith opened the gate. The llama eyed them both balefully; his head was tethered to a short lead. Hobbled, he wasn't able to move much and Brennan felt bad. "Why is he tied up so tight?"

"Because this is Houdini, Houdini can get out of any rope, gate or latch made. If I just put him in there until Mal showed up, we'd have to hunt him down." Faith said. "It's okay, once his tooth is pulled, then he can be unhobbled and let back in with the others."

"Oh, you have others?" She asked stroking his back as Mal got the supplies ready.

"Yes, each of the older kids has their own llama for 4H. Plus, we have a couple of Alpaca's for wool. This is a wheat ranch, so we don't have any other livestock, besides kids and these guys." She nodded to the llama. "Travis will be very grateful when Houdini is feeling better Mal, thanks for coming out here, normally we'd bring him in…"she trailed off and Malcolm said, "It's okay Faith, I don't mind coming out here, whatever I can do to make it easier for you and Lorne." He winked and said, "Looks like Grace is about to take a walkabout," he nodded to the hay bale where the baby had decided to see whether she could crawl off or not. Faith jogged over and scooped her up, making the baby laugh, and then scooping the toddler up as well, she said, "Come in for lemonade when you're done; Roxie it was nice to meet you."

Brennan smiled and told her likewise and then she and Mal got down to business with Houdini. He injected the llama equivalent to Novocain in his jaw and waited for the sedative to take effect while Roxie stroked the llama's neck and spoke soothingly. When she was able to grab his jaw without him flinching she told Mal that he was ready for the extraction. Pulling out a pair of rubber covered bent nose pliers; Mal reached in and grasped the tooth pulling it out smoothly. Brennan packed the socket and they smeared some antibiotic paste on the outside of the socket and then Mal unhobbled him leaving him tethered. "Shouldn't we untie him?" Roxie asked a little shocked at how fast it had all gone down.

"Nope, not me, I'll leave that up to them, I don't want to be responsible for that, do you?" he smiled as she agreed that it was best to leave him where he was. The two of them headed up to the house, iris's standing proud and erect lining an asphalt path directly from the barn to the house. They walked up a ramp to the wraparound porch and knocked on a weathered white screen door. "Come in!" Faith yelled when she heard their knock. Mal left his bag of supplies outside and held open the door for Roxie to enter first, going inside she was impressed by the sturdy and simple furnishings, they followed the sounds of children into the kitchen. Faith was putting cheerios and fruit slices on the tray of Grace's high chair and Hope, the toddler was sitting in a booster seat her own plate of crackers and fruit in front of her. A blonde boy, about ten years old sat at the table as well. His wheelchair was hidden at first, but Brennan saw it as she came around the table to where Faith had indicated the lemonade was.

"Wow. You're pretty." He said around his glass.

"Thank you. You must be Travis?" she asked coming over to sit next to him.

"Yeah, you can call me Trav though, who are you?"

"Travis! That was rude." Faith said turning around.

"Oh I don't mind, he wasn't being rude, my name is Roxie Morgan, I work with Dr. Reynolds. It's nice to meet you Trav." She held out her hand and he shook it. She was surprised at the strength in his grip considering the chair.

"Nice to meet you too, is Houdini okay?" he asked, looking worriedly between her and Mal.

"He's just fine Travis, got the tooth out without any problems, he'll be back to opening gates and chewing through ropes in no time." Mal told him with a wink.

"Good, we're going to be in the animal parade before the rodeo you know." He told them all proudly, "He's the only llama in it! Even my dumb sisters' didn't make it in there," he lowered his voice to whisper to Roxie.

"That must make you feel pretty good?" she asked, also in a whisper.

He nodded and said sagely, "Yeah, they still get to go, Patience is a 'princess' and all that." Brennan could sense the faked enthusiasm about her being a princess in the rodeo but thought that underneath was a little bit of pride for his sister as well. Faith and Mal had been talking about the llama while Brennan and Travis spoke and drank their lemonade. "Well Roxie, you ready to go? We've still got to go see Harmony." Mal said a short time later.

"Harmony? Cordy's horse?" Faith laughed, "Like you need an excuse to go out there Mal." He blushed and said, "Harmony stepped in a hole, Cordelia wants me to make sure the sprain is healing okay Faith, that's all."

"Okay, okay, whatever you say Dr. Reynolds.

"I'm ready when you are Mal, thank you for the lemonade Faith." She said, putting her glass in the sink. She thought Mal was cute when he was blushing and was interested to meet this Cordelia Chase.

"You're welcome, I'm sure we'll see you again, welcome to the area." She smiled at her and shook her hand. "Maybe next time you can meet the girls and Lorne."

"I'd like that, bye Trav," She said as they left the same way they'd come in. Wes waved goodbye and grabbed for a book on the table. Mal grabbed his bag as they hopped in the truck and pulling out he said, "Okay, off to check on Harmony and then we can grab something to eat on the way back in, I can show you around town too."

"Sounds good to me, can I ask what happened to Travis?" Brennan was pulling the seat belt across her chest and thinking that she definitely needed to change her shirt before going into town, she was glad that Booth had given her his t-shirt this morning, looking down at her own, she thought burning it might be better than trying to wash it.

"He fell off his dad's tractor about six years ago. He and Lorne were coming in from the field and he just slipped off. Broke his back and Lorne has never been the same since. Travis is the only boy and Lorne blames himself."

"That's too bad; it looks as though he's a happy kid though." She mused aloud.

"They are a really great family, Faith is a nurse at the school, and ask you can see, she loves kids." He grinned and winked.

"She's a lot braver than me, that's for sure." Brennan said laughing. Just then her phone started to play a ZZ Top song and she grabbed it quickly as Malcolm glanced over and raised his eyebrow.

"Hello?"

"Brennan?"

"Hi! What's up?"

"You can't talk can you?"

"Nope, not even a little bit."

"Well, okay then, in that case just listen. Whoever killed Elizabeth had access to ether because traces of it were found around her mouth from the sample we got from the FBI. I know that you said that it looked like she'd been tortured, but when I compared her injuries to other barrel racers, they seem congruent, and so I'm not sure about the torture thing. Also, she was pregnant."

"Really?"

"Yes, very early along, maybe a month to six weeks."

"Okay, well, can I call you when I get off work?"

"Sure Sweetie. Are you having fun? How's 'Tony'?"

"Sounds good, I'll talk to you later, thanks!" Brennan hung up and tucked the phone into her pocket. She needed to talk to Booth about the news of Elizabeth's pregnancy as well as the ether. She knew that they would continue to work on cause of death, aside from being trapped inside a barrel. She hoped that she was dead before she was stuffed in there.


	21. Chapter 18A

BOAB CH18A

Malcolm looked over at Roxie when she hung up the phone, "friend of yours?" he asked. He could tell that she hadn't wanted to talk in front of him, he could understand, especially if she was hiding from something. "Yes, that was my best friend, she just wanted to make sure that I'd arrived safely and wanted to quiz me on the local 'wildlife'." She answered.

"So, what do you think of the local 'wildlife', as you put it?" he asked a smile hovering around his mouth.

"I think that's a subject I'm going to discuss with her and not you Dr. Reynolds." She told him with laughter in her eyes.

"Touché" he replied. They talked about the clients they'd seen that morning and he was telling her about having to pull a tooth on a less friendly llama when they started to pull into the Chase ranch. Large iron gates met them at the end of the driveway and he pulled up to almost touching them before they slid back silently. Iron arches with intertwined C's topping them intersected with the gates, a matching set of C's set into the gates.

"Wow, that's pretty fancy," Roxie said as they pulled through.

"Cordelia used to be an actress. She was mostly in commercials and small stuff, she did a TV series for a couple of years, but then she met Liam and gave it all up to move here with him. Then his National Guard unit was called up and he died. She's pretty tough I fully expected her and Connor to head back to Hollywood or at least California, but she stayed." His pride in this woman was evident to her, she wondered if he knew how he felt about her.

They pulled up in front of the large house and Roxie saw the woman in question. Brunette hair cut fashionably short, she was tan and beautiful, she was smiling and had her arm around Connor. The two of them got out of the truck and walked towards the house when Cordelia said, "OH MY GOD. You're Temperance Brennan! Mal! You didn't tell me that she was Dr. Brennan!"

Brennan stopped herself from breaking stride; she didn't know how she was going to bluff her way through this. She looked at Mal and said, "How long have you known?"

"Since that first day, I'm a big fan of your books." He told her as Cordelia and Connor came down the steps.

"Oh my God Dr. Brennan, I'm such a fan, I have all of your books, Mal got me hooked on them, are you here researching?" she stuck her hand out, "Oh I'm sorry, forgive my manners, I'm Cordelia Chase and this is my son Connor."

Brennan shook both of their hands and said, "It's nice to meet you, and no, I'm not here doing research. I just needed a break and thought that it would be fun to do something different. Please don't tell anyone, my editor doesn't even know I'm gone yet." She said frantically trying to figure out what she was going to do and if this was going to compromise things.

"I won't say anything Dr. Brennan," Cordelia said.

"Roxie, please, Roxie Morgan Ms. Chase." She told her.

Mal just stood there silently, he didn't know what to say to Roxie, he'd known all along, but now it was just awkward. He wished he'd just told her when he first knew. "Did you know too Mal?" She needed to know if he knew about Booth too.

He nodded yes and said, "I figured you'd tell me when you were ready."

"Mal, Harmony is in the barn, Connor will go with you, Dr. Bren-Roxie, would you like to come inside? I'd love to talk to you, if that's okay?" Cordelia said.

"I don't know, Mal, do you need my help?" She started to say when she was interrupted, "Oh, he's fine, come on in." Cordelia linked her arm in hers and ushered her inside as Mal and Connor turned to go to the barn. "I do love that man," Cordelia said as they stopped on the deck to watch the two guys walk away. Completely taken aback by this declaration, Brennan said nothing.

**~Meanwhile~**

Booth, Curtis and Chuck finished cleaning out the equipment barn and were heading over to the onsite chuck wagon for lunch when Booth got a call.

"Yeah." He said into the phone.

"Booth?"

"This is Tony."

"You can't talk either?"

"Nope, what do you want?"

"Don't get sassy with me Tony, I just called Brennan and she can't talk either, but I wanted to tell you that whomever killed Elizabeth had access to ether as traces were found around her mouth, so look for some at the arena, I'm sure Brennan will check out the Doc, also Elizabeth was pregnant, we're trying to do a DNA sample but not sure it will work, is there any way you can get a sample from Chuck? I know he's your prime suspect." Angela knew that he and Brennan hadn't talked since she'd last called Brennan, but wanted him to be able to get what he could before they compared notes.

"I'll look into it, thanks." He hung up.

Back in Washington DC Angela looked at the now disconnected phone in her hand and said aloud, "This hanging up on me thing is getting old, I'm going to have to have a talk with those two when they get back."

Back at the arena, Booth was mentally processing what Angela had just passed along. The only one that had access to ether that he was aware of that was involved with both victims was the good doctor. The doctor that was currently side by side with his partner. He quickly dialed Brennan's phone number; it rang once and went straight to voicemail. He looked at the display and hung up and dialed her number again.

Hearing 'Hot Blooded' began to blare from her pocket; Brennan reached down and pulled the phone out of her pocket, sending the call to voicemail. Booth would leave her a message she reasoned and she'd get it later. She and Cordelia were in the house and she'd agreed to sign her latest book for her, "Thanks for keeping my secret-Temperance Brennan"

Before she could put the phone back in her pocket the song began again, knowing that he wouldn't give up after all, she excused herself and pushed talk. "Yes?"

"Bones, are you okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine; I'm at our last stop for the day, why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just talked to Angela and she said whoever killed Elizabeth had access to ether and the only person that had that and was involved with both witnesses was the doctor, so I was checking up on you."

She paused before answering. She'd thought the same thing, and although her gut didn't talk to her like Booth's did, she didn't think the doctor was at fault for anything. "Yes, I'd heard that too, listen can I talk to you later?"

"Call me when you get to the cabin, I'm coming over." He told her.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She said, thinking that it was best that he not come over because one, she didn't know if either of them would be able to stop the morning from happening again, and two they had just 'met'.

"I really don't care what you think; I'll be over later tonight. I'll park behind the barn. I'll bring dinner. Be safe Bones." He hung up rather than arguing with her. He knew that they needed to limit their interaction, but he was reasonably sure that no one realized they knew each other, and he wanted to get her impressions of the people they'd met so far.

She tucked the phone back into her pocket and Cordelia said, "Man trouble?"

"Why would you think that?" Brennan responded as she came back into the room.

"Hot Blooded ring tone, tense conversation, I'm no expert, but I'd say it was man trouble."

"Well, yeah, a little, we just can't seem to let things go, it's complicated." She told her.

"I understand complicated, believe me, I've been trying to get Malcolm interested for years and although he comes over for dinner and helps out around the house, he's as skittish as a newborn colt. I blame that trashy girl he was dating when he first moved here. She scared him off."

"Well, I know that Faith Price thinks that he and you should be together, she was teasing him about it before we came over here." She smiled at the pretty single mom.

"Hell, half the town thinks we should be together, it's just convincing him!" Cordelia laughed. "Speaking of which, here he comes."

Malcolm and Connor came inside, "Harmony looks like she's healing okay, keep walking her and put her into the pool a couple times a day and I think she'll be just fine in a couple of weeks. She just needs to get through the bruising." He told her reaching into the cookie jar and grabbing a handful of oatmeal cookies like he lived there.

"Pool?" Brennan said.

"Oh, yeah, Cordelia runs rehabilitation for kids and horses and she had an exercise pool for the horses, she also has riding for kids with disabilities and stuff." Malcolm told her.

"I do indeed, I love it. I don't think anyone should be deprived the ability to ride so it's open to everyone. In fact, I think Minnie is bringing Clay over later today Connor, will you make sure that Scoot's stall is cleaned out in case he ends up staying later?" Connor nodded and grabbed a cookie of his own before heading back outside.

"Isn't Clay Stefanie's' nephew?" she asked.

"Yeah, it was so sad what happened to his mama and brother. What makes it worse is that Connor was supposed to be there at that birthday party too. I thank God every day his stomach was sour and he couldn't go. I feel so sorry for Minnie and Stefanie, and that poor boy, although, he is just the happiest kid." Cordelia had gotten up and was starting to empty the dishwasher.

"What happened?" Brennan was hoping for a break in this case.

Malcolm looked at Cordelia and then at Brennan, "Tell you what; I'll fill you in on the way back into town okay? I need to get back to the office, I got a call from Danni while I was at the barn, there's a doe on her way in, looks like she was hit by a car and although I don't normally treat wildlife, I leave it to the rangers, the guy that hit her said she had two fawns."

"You gonna come back out for dinner tonight Mal?" Cordelia asked hopefully.

"Maybe not tonight Cord, rain check?"

"Sure, no problem, it was nice to meet you Dr. Brennan, _Roxie_. Don't worry I won't say anything; I understand needing to get away from it all. When Liam brought me here I thought I'd go crazy being away from California, but something about this place grabbed a hold of me and even when I need to get away, I never go further than my back pasture, it's just that relaxing." Her eyes were wistful when she thought of her husband, but then snapped a smile back on and shook Brennan's hand again.

She walked them to the door and watched as they got in the truck to head into town. Driving down the driveway, Mal looked over at Brennan and said, "I don't need to know why you are here Dr. Brennan, if you need anything just let me know okay?"

"All I need is for you to call me Roxie, treat me like your new assistant and don't ask questions Mal, that's all I want."

"I can do that," He smiled, "I'm going to have to postpone the show and tell around town, I don't know how bad this deer is mangled."

"That's quite alright; I'm just going to go to the store and then head on home. Maybe later this week if we're not too busy we can explore the town a little. So, what happened to Clay's brother?"

"Stella, that's Stefanie's sister invited a bunch of kids over to her mom's hotel for a birthday party for Clay and Jax a few years ago. They were going to play in the pool and then camp out in the barn overnight. So they get done in the pool and had dinner, cake and ice cream, presents, you know typical birthday party stuff. Stella and Stefanie had set up the sleeping bags and made sure they all had flashlights and things and got the boys all settled into sleep. Most of the horses were in the pasture, it was a mellow night out, so it was just the kids and Leo in there. Leo is Clay's dog. So around two or so in the morning Stella hears horses screaming and she looks outside and the back of the barn is on fire, she and Stefanie go running to the barn, and all the kids but Clay and Jax were outside. Stefanie took the kids away from the fire and Stella ran in to the barn to get her son's. Leo was pulling Clay out of the barn, he was unconscious and on fire, but luckily being dragged put the fire out. Stella and Jax never made it out."

He stopped speaking and looked over at her, "Oh my, that's so horrible. Do they know how the fire started?" She said softly.

"They asked the boys, and they all said the same thing, they were all mostly asleep and all of a sudden Leo started barking and then the next thing they knew there was a huge explosion and the barn was on fire. They said the fire burned so hot that they were never able to find out how it started. Clay got out with burns and because of all the skin grafts, he walks with a limp, but other than that he's fine. Jax was the only boy that died."

Brennan catalogued all that he'd told her and wondered whether the barn fire was really an accident or not, she would see if Booth could pull some strings and get the fire report. She was glad to have the back story on the fire, and death of Stefanie's sister, but she also would like to know more about the relationship between Chuck and Stella.

"I bet Chuck and Stefanie were devastated." She said.

"Stefanie was inconsolable at first, but she's a tough girl. She doesn't really share a lot, she likes to keep it all inside and deal with it in her own way. I know that she and Clay spend every Sunday together and go riding or they play games or something. She didn't ask for custody of him instead let her mom take him, she wasn't ready for that kind of responsibility. She and Stella never really saw eye to eye on things, they weren't really close. For twins they sure didn't have a lot in common. Chuck really didn't react at all. Things were going south with him and Stella by then anyway. That's why they were at the hotel; she'd moved out with the boys and was trying to make it on her own."

"I think if I lost my son and my girlfriend in a fire, I'd be devastated." She said, trying to get more out of him.

"Me too, but I guess we're different people." He told her, they'd driven all the way back to her place, he pulled in and said, "I'll see you tomorrow, sorry to drop and run. Thank you for all your help today."

"No problem Mal, see you in the morning." She grabbed her bag and got out his truck, she went inside and pulled her shirt off tossing it on a chair; she took Booth's t-shirt out of her bag and slid it over her head and then went back to her truck. She was going straight to town to get groceries without any distractions. She didn't know what kind of food Booth was planning on bringing over, but she was not going to be able to handle another morning without coffee.

*Tony/Roxie interaction next chapter…*


	22. Chapter 18B

**BOAB CH18B (This one is a little longer than normal, I hope it was worth the wait, RL got in the way-thanks for not throwing mushy fruit!MKAngelus)**

Roxie drove into town, passing the vet's office on her way, she looked over and saw that Danni Stefanie, and Carrie were heading out of the main office to their trucks. She waved at them, but wasn't sure if they saw her or not. She continued into town, enjoying the scenery and listening to the mellow country music on the radio, she rolled the window down slightly and inhaled the fresh air. _I could really get used to this_, she thought seeing the sign for the Pauls Market up ahead. Pulling into the parking lot, she saw that the store was situated in a small strip mall, Chinese food, hair and nail salon and a hardware store flanking the grocery store.

She grabbed her list, slapped a baseball cap on her head and checking her reflection in the rear view to see if she had anything on her face, she jumped out of the truck and grabbed a cart on her way in. Typical small town grocery store, it had a deli case up front next to the combination bakery, floral center and pharmacy. She headed straight to the coffee aisle and then to produce, before making her way around looking at the differences in food selection here versus the organic market she frequented in DC. She wasn't paying attention to her surroundings but was comparing labels when she heard, "Hey Foxie Roxie!"

Turning at the man's voice she smiled when she saw Doug and Jesse coming down the aisle towards her, "Hi guys, how are you?" she asked as she put the spaghetti sauce in her cart.

"Not as fine as you are Miss Roxie," Doug said with a big grin. She rolled her eyes and adopted full Roxie persona in her answer, "Dougie, I bet you say that to all the girls, right Jesse?"

"Yes Ma'am," Jesse said with an exaggerated tip of his hat, "So, got any big plans for the night?"

Just then Danni and Carrie came around the corner of the aisle they were on, "Hey Roxie!"

She turned and waved slightly, "Danni! Hey girls, small world huh?"

Carrie came over and looked over her groceries, "Boring, where the Oreo's? The Twinkie's?" she asked moving the groceries in her cart.

"I don't think she needs those things, do you Jess?" Doug said admiring her figure again, ogling really.

"There's nothing wrong with a Twinkie or Oreo now and again Douglas," Carrie said, "It's good for you."

"Yeah, if you wanna little junk in your trunk that is," Danni said.

Roxie laughed, "I've got plenty of junk in my trunk thank you ladies, I'm good without the Twinkies, although I may get a bag of Oreo's, you never know when you may need one."

The five of them chatted for a few more minutes and then Danni said, "We're gonna go to the Longhorn again tonight, there's two for one on pitchers and darts, you wanna go Roxie?"

"Yeah Roxie, I'd like to get a dance or two," Jesse smiled.

"Sorry guys, I've got hot plans for tonight, I'm going to go home, put this stuff away, unpack and then hang out with my horses for the night. I hate having bags and boxes everywhere, but maybe tomorrow?" She glanced at her watch and saw that she needed to hurry in fact to get the barn cleaned out before Booth showed up. He hadn't actually said what time he was coming by, but since he would most likely bring Chinese food and it probably didn't stay open that late, he would be coming soon. It was starting to get a little darker outside already.

"No problem, we'll hook up later then," Carrie said, "You don't want help tonight do you?"

"Oh no, I'm totally fine, thank you though." She told them.

Doug and Jesse linked arms with Danni and Carrie and told her that they'd catch her some other night and then they four of them did a two step down the aisle, which made Roxie laugh out loud. She'd never do something like that in public as Dr. Brennan, but thought maybe she'd just be able to do it as Roxie. She grabbed some more things from the shelves, and headed to the checkout stand. Standing in line there was a display of scented candles and impulsively she grabbed a handful of Sandalwood and Sage scented ones and put them in her cart. She might have time to take a bath before Booth got there if she hurried.

Once she had the bags stowed in the truck she headed back to the cabin, thoughts of the case and Mal's knowledge of who she was, and Booth's impending visit ricocheting through her mind.

Booth went straight back to the hotel and unloaded Gunn into the barn. He didn't see the horse trailer parked alongside the barn or the old red pickup that it was hooked to and Scoot and Leo were missing as well, so he figured that Clay had gone somewhere with his grandma. He jumped into the shower and quickly scrubbed away the day's grime. Deciding that it was warm enough to just wear a tank top and jeans, that's all he put on along with his baseball cap. After hastily getting dressed, he shaved and put on his cologne, the cologne that Angela had gotten him, along with his 'mount up' belt buckle. Chuckling at the extra effort he was making to see Bones, he locked his door and headed back to town to get dinner.

Pulling into the same market that Brennan had recently exited; he walked into the Chinese food place and made his order. It wasn't the same as Thai, but it would be pretty close and it would seem like they were at home with the cardboard cartons spread everywhere. As he waited for his order, he watched Danni and Carrie leave the store, followed closely by Doug and Jesse, he thought about calling out to them, but decided he didn't want to have to make up an excuse why he couldn't hang out with them tonight, especially since he was buying enough food for three people. Once his order was ready he headed back to Brennan's cabin, enjoying the smell of the food and the fresh scent of impending rain on his face from the window that didn't always roll up.

The rain that had held off most of the day started falling as Brennan pulled onto the long driveway to her rental cabin. Although she knew it was going to break soon, she was hoping the clouds would stay full and heavy just a little longer while she unloaded the groceries and headed to the barn. She desperately wanted a bath before Booth got there so was moving at hyper speed as she put the groceries where they should go and started a pot of coffee. She hastily changed out of his shirt and into a tank top, pulling her cap off and hurried to the barn. His shirt still had some of his scent on it and she'd rather wear it when she wasn't working to preserve that smell.

When she walked into the barn, the rain had started to fall a little harder, but was still manageable and she flipped on the large overhead lights which in turn automatically turned on an old radio hanging by the stall entrances. Crackly country music soared through the barn as the notes of the steel guitars danced among the beams and she absently turned it up when she walked by to get into Fury and Charcoals' stalls.

The horses had spent the majority of the day outside, so their stalls were relatively clean, she knew that it wouldn't take that long to muck them out and get them bedded down for the night. Huddled around the entrance to the stalls from the pasture, the two of them watched her calmly, whereas Wrath had trotted to the end of the fence and was pretending that she held no interest for him. She was talking and singing slightly under her breath to the other two and watching the rain pound harder and harder so never heard the truck pull down her driveway.

Booth turned down the driveway to her house, relieved to see the nose of her brand new truck peeking out from behind the cabin. He parked next to it and was also relieved to see that his truck was completely hidden from view by doing so. He went around to the front door and knocked, finding no answer he went to the back and pushing it open, he stowed the Chinese food on the counter, "Bones? You here?" he called as he went down the hallway. Going into what had to be her room he was a little taken aback by the casual way a bra was strewn on a dressing chair and also saw his t-shirt on the edge of his bed. He touched it and it was barely damp, indicating that she'd at least had it on when it had started to rain. He decided that she must be in the barn, so he turned to go outside.

Finishing up with Fury and Charcoal's stall, she glanced into Wraths' and it appeared that he'd spent no time at all in it, the straw on the ground was still mostly fresh, so she merely dumped some oats in his bucket and refilled his water. She stepped outside to grab Fury's halter and he and Charcoal obediently followed her into the barn. In the brief moment that she was outside, she'd gotten drenched. Standing with her hands on her hips she hollered over to Wrath, "You better come in here; I'm not going out there to get you!" _That'll teach him_ she thought to herself flipping her wet hair out of her eyes and sluicing the extra water from it. She walked through Fury's stall and was latching it when a song came on the radio that she hadn't heard in years, she wrapped her arms around her waist and slowly sang along, swaying slightly as she allowed the words to bring her back to the last time she'd heard it. The ETC song had been a favorite of her mom's and she'd sung it when dancing in the living room with her dad.

_A heart isn't blind  
It just sees what it wants to see  
I hope yours is lookin' at mine  
The way that you're lookin' at me  
Well I've been around  
I've taken chances before  
But this time I'm hopin' for more  
You're makin' it easy_

Brennan was so into the song that she didn't hear him enter the barn. He stopped and listened to her singing softly to herself, swaying with her eyes closed, and then walking carefully up behind her, he said quietly, "Can I have this dance?" She never opened her eyes, just turned into his strong arms, her clothes soaked from the rain; he put his head down next to hers and inhaled the scent of the rain on her skin.

_Nobody falls like a fool  
Nobody loves like a believer  
After so many dreams have fallen through  
It's time that one came true  
Nobody falls like a fool  
Nobody loves like a believer  
and I'm fallin' 'cause I believe in you_

She was so warm in his arms, he felt complete just holding her. The barn disappeared, the rain beating the roof in time with the song were the only sounds they heard, aside from the beating of their own hearts.

_I know you're afraid  
Of the words we have spoken  
There's been so many promises made  
and so many broken  
Oh but please don't hold back  
I've already opened the door  
and this time I'm hopin' for more  
You're makin' it easy_

Brennan smelled the spice and musk of his cologne, and the warmth of his shoulders under her hands, made slightly damp from his walk to the barn. She pressed herself closer to him, causing him to sigh softly and say, "Bones."

Still with her eyes closed, allowing the magic of the moment to make her its slave for however briefly, she said, "No, not Bones, not tonight. Tonight I'm Roxie."

Booth understood what she was doing and he knew that for her to even go that much was a huge step, he wanted her, whatever part of her he could have and though he would have preferred to be Booth to her Bones, he was going to let her make the decisions.

_Nobody falls like a fool  
Nobody loves like a believer  
After so many dreams have fallen through  
It's time that one came true  
Nobody falls like a fool  
Nobody loves like a believer  
and I'm fallin' 'cause I believe in you_

The song ended and as the last notes faded away, they still swayed, even though the next song was a hard, fast dancing song, they held each other as if the music had never stopped. Tony stroked her wet hair, allowing his fingers to gently separate the longer than usual strands, his other hand resting on her lower back, his thumb tracing the skin under her tank top.

Roxie's mouth parted slightly as she gently sucked a rain drop from the skin above his tank collar. Feeling his salty skin under her lips she was emboldened by a bravery she rarely could claim around this man. He was the only thing she was truthfully afraid of. When her lips touched his skin, Tony felt as if he'd stepped onto a live wire. They'd kissed before, a tequila fueled kiss of promises of things to come, a friendly kiss that quickly crossed into more promises, so her lips weren't new to him, but this setting, this sensation was. She felt his body tense as her tongue lapped out the rain, and she began to explore his upper chest, collar bone with her mouth as their swaying had stopped completely. He felt himself harden against her and knew she felt it too when she pulled him closer still. He could no longer resist and pulled her away slightly as he dipped his head to hers, to capture her soft lips. Pressing against them with his, he mulled their sweetness over and over and then touched his tongue to hers to pull even more of her taste into his mouth. Their lips moved against each other, unhurried and with exploration as their tongues tasted and teased.

"Roxie, I'm not going to stop," he whispered against her mouth as his hands slid slowly down her rib cage, across her back and up again, barely missing the bottom of her breasts with each pass of his hand. "Nobody asked you too Tony." She whispered back, he looked into her grey blue eyes and saw passion, fear and love. She'd never admit it to him, but he'd seen love shining from them for years. The rain was still beating a staccato rhythm on the roof, and all three horses were watching these two lovers as night began to softly sneak across the valley. Booth hesitated a glance behind her to where the hay was stored, as cliché as it was, there was a mound of hay that almost begged to be the place where he was finally able to be with her the way he knew they were meant to be.

Tony picked her up, his mouth and hers still entwined and carried her over to the loose hay and bending to one knee, he lay her down, carefully covering her body with his. Realizing almost immediately that hay is incredibly scratchy and not all conducive to making love no matter how many sappy romantic westerns made it seem, he separated from her just long enough to grab a horse blanket from the shelf facing them, throwing it down, she giggled and climbed over to it. "You know, that would never have happened in the movies Tony. It would have all been soaring music and softly filtered lights, the radio would play nothing but slow songs…"

"Instead of the Big and Rich song playing now and the glaring overhead lights?" he smiled back at her, lounging on the blanket. "Hold that thought," he told her and going back to the entrance he quickly figured out how to turn off the lights and then standing stupidly in front of the radio he could now barely see, he went back over and turned them on so he could change the station. Dialing through the airwaves, he found the light station, the one that played mostly broken heart or new love songs and then turned the radio off again. Walking back to her, he stripped his tank top off and started to take his baseball cap off. "Leave that on," She said. Smirking, he complied and tossed the tank off to the side. Standing in front of her now, she looked at him from the ground up, taking in the impossible cowboy boots, tight straight legged jeans, tight in all the right places, the ridiculous but somehow perfect belt buckle and his naked torso, his pectorals and abs sharply defined his broad shoulders and perfectly sculpted upper arms. She stopped at his large hands, she loved his hands more than any part of him, she'd seen him tenderly hold a baby with those hands and then manhandle a suspect and she wasn't sure which action made her hotter. Taking in his clean shaven face, his strong jaw and masculine features, she licked her lips and beckoned him with her finger, "C'mere Cowboy." She said, lying back onto the blanket.

Tony took her in, the tiny tank top, the small waist, long legs, her strong arms well defined from the grueling karate workouts she did, her beautiful and long dark hair, framing her face, porcelain skin and he knelt over her, one leg between hers and the other on the outside of her thigh. He reached down and slowly began pulling her tank top off, she indulged him by lifting her arms and he was mesmerized by her light coral bra and the way her nipples strained at the delicate fabric. He lay down almost completely on top of her to the side and began to kiss her again. She ran her hand up his arm and across his chest, down to the buckle of his belt. She could feel himself straining against the fly of his jeans. Carefully, she allowed herself to take his entire length in her palm, knowing instantly that Tony was one of those guys that would be the envy of locker rooms.

Feeling her butterfly soft exploration of his bulge, he reached down between them and unbuckled his belt, pulling it apart slightly; she pushed his hands away to finish the job herself. In the meantime, he'd been able to get her front clasp bra open and was enjoying the feeling of her breast in his hand, her skin slightly cool from the rain and the temperature of the barn, just made her pucker against his palm even harder. She gasped as his hand took her full weight and he rasped his thumb over her hardened nub. He stopped kissing her mouth and began to forge a trail down her jaw line, to her neck and across her collar bone, to her breast. Positioning himself in between her long legs she protested when he took her hand away from his cock. "Relax Roxie, you'll have your chance," he said between kisses as he dipped and swirled his tongue and mouth over the peaks of her breasts and back to the valley between, "Just enjoy this please…" he said, adding a silent "Bones."

Roxie sighed and pushed her breast further into his mouth by arching her back, her hands tangled in his short hair. Tony continued to tease and taste his way down to her waistline, the jeans gapping slightly as she sucked her stomach in where his mouth pressed against her. Wondering what the heck was going on over there and why he wasn't being paid attention to Wrath let out an earsplitting screech, which caused Tony to stop and curse slightly under his breath. Roxie began to laugh and pulling him back up to her mouth, she started to kiss him and then with a strength that surprised him she flipped him over and was now straddling him.

"Hey!" he started to sputter and she put a finger to his lips, "Shhh…enjoy it." She leaned down and pressed her mouth to his smooth chest, following each muscle with her tongue, she relished each twitch of his body. Her mouth trailed kisses down his body to the unbuckled belt, and she pushed it aside to kiss even lower. His lower stomach muscles were fluttering with the whisper soft sensation her lips provided. He was running his hands ceaselessly over her shoulders and down her arms where he could reach when she began to tug his jeans down. Lifting his butt to help her, she hooked his briefs down his hips and gasped out loud when she saw the size and strength of his arousal. She glanced back at him to see him watching her reaction. Smiling, she took his head in her mouth and sucked lightly. Then releasing him, she pulled her own jeans down and off her legs.

Tony started to toe his boots off and she stopped him with a hand on his well formed thigh, "You don't need to take those off," she said, kissing back up his body from between his thighs. She kissed her way back up to his neck and bit lightly. He jerked at the unfamiliar sensation and then relaxed. Tony stroked the outside of her smooth thighs with his hands, and pushed her into a sitting position. He put his finger in his mouth and slowly inserted it into the wet juncture of her thighs, she arched back as one finger became two; he teased her inner folds, his long, strong fingers stoking the fire that was beginning to burn there. He cupped her in his palm and began to rock her gently; all the while she remained straddling him. She reached up to cup her own breast which was his undoing, his voice broke when he said, "I don't have any protection."

"That's okay Tony, I'm on the pill," She said as she slid back and positioned his hard cock at her dripping wet entrance, slowly, carefully she allowed herself to slide down his shaft, eliciting a tense moan from both of them. She waited while her muscles became adjusted to his size and then slowly began to rock her hips, back and forth. Tony could feel the delicious friction and his balls tightened at the feeling of her body sheathing his so tightly. He began to lift her hips, his eyes partially closed to enjoy the sensation, but also to watch her reaction. She lifted her arms above her head and leaned back which made her breasts thrust proudly out further. He knew they were aching to be tasted, but his current angle was preventing that. Their rhythm increased as they each made the slow climb to the pinnacle. He continued to lift her hips slightly while she continued to rock. Whimpering from pleasure, she began to run her hands through her hair as he bit back a groan at the image of this woman, the woman he loved mounting him and riding like she was being chased by the hounds of hell.

Tony felt like he was going to explode just as her whimpers turned to moans, "C'mon baby, c'mon with me now, c'mon," he panted as she tensed up and arching her back she cried out, "Oh Tony! Oh God." A brief moment later he met her at the top and they crested together, she continued to rock slowly, her inner muscles milking every ounce of pleasure from his body. She clenched one last time, before slowly laying her body down on his. Still joined, they both enjoyed the aftershocks as their bodies tumbled from the top, layer by layer to resume their existence on this plane. She started to sit up as he tensed and shook. Looking down at him, she raised an eyebrow and said, "What was that?" his eyes blinking, he was taking deep breaths and then tried desperately to hold in another sneeze.

"I'm s-s-sorry Roxie…al-allergies…" he said sneezing again. Slowly sliding off of his still mostly hard dick she rolled over into the hay and laughed. Rolling her eyes, she said, "Some things never change…too bad we weren't assigned to a desert location." She stood and deftly pulled her panties back on followed by her jeans, she found his tank top and tossed it to him, "Here, get cleaned up, I'll meet you inside," she was answered by another sneeze.

She grabbed her own tank and pulled it on, picking her bra up and her boots she walked over to the radio and turned it off. She turned on one overhead light and watched him, his back to her as he attempted to wrestle himself back into his jeans, pulling up a healthy amount of hay in the process. She couldn't help but laugh at him, hay in his hair, his pants, still sneezing. The rain had mostly stopped falling and Wrath was completely in his stall. Walking to him, he actually allowed her to scratch his nose before stamping and retreating once again to the back of the stall. She set her things down and walked through Fury's stall to the outside of the entrances to lock Wraths' gate. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" Tony asked from inside the barn.

"He's getting a little better, he's just had a hard time of things and is trying to find his way." She said. The two of them walked inside and as they got in she said, "I'll treat you to some cold Chinese food and some even colder beer and then we can go over the case?" looking over her shoulder at him he seemed a little better from his sneezing, but had a concerned look on his face.

"Listen, what just happened out there, that's not going to interfere with our case Bones, I know that."

"Out there, we were Tony and Roxie; in here we're Brennan and Booth." She told him, pulling out plates and silverware, "I can make that distinction and I hope you can too. Otherwise, we aren't going to be able to pull this off, and I need to know who killed that girl."

Unwilling to believe that she could separate themselves so easily but understanding that it was something she needed to do, he said, "I know and I understand that Bones, I do, but at some point you and I, Booth and Brennan are going to have to talk."

"I know." She said quietly. She quickly pulled out her notes and the two of them sat down as they had hundreds of times in the past and went over the case. Hours later after exhausting the beer, the food and his gut feelings he knew it was time to go when he could see her eyes closing for longer and longer periods and personally he wanted to get the bale of hay out of his asscrack. "Let's wrap this up, okay? You're beat, and we both have to get up early."

"I agree, that would be best." She told him stifling a yawn. As he helped her put things back in their place and throw away their trash he was trying to figure out a way to ask her if he could stay. More than anything he wanted to fall asleep in her arms, the worries of the case buried.

Booth knew that with her it was best to just lay the cards on the table he hesitated only briefly as she walked him to the door, "Bones, can I stay the night?" he asked her, the only light from the moon above, her face mostly in shadow. "I need to stay."

"I don't think that it would be the best course of action Tony, you and I just met and recent activities aside, it would be better if you go to your place."

Seeing that she wasn't going to budge, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, lingering a second longer than was called for. "You're right, I'll see you around Roxie." He smiled sadly and headed straight to his truck, when he was halfway down the driveway she shut the door and locked it. Leaning her head against the heavy wood she said quietly, "Oh Booth."


	23. Chapter 19

**BOAB Ch 19**

Brennan got up the next morning, and stumbled to the coffee pot. She needed to run off the excess energy that would have been burned if Booth had stayed the night. He wanted to, she wanted him to, and she just couldn't let him. If he stayed then he would think that it meant something, and to him it would. She wasn't kidding anyone; it would mean something to her too. She just couldn't let it interfere with their job. She'd let him get close to her, too close. It had killed her when he was kidnapped. She just couldn't go through that again, so as much as she relished their time in the barn it couldn't happen again. It just couldn't. She poured a cup of coffee and slipped into her boots and headed straight to the barn. Wrath nickered at her as she came in, which surprised her. She slowly walked up and he lifted his large head away from her outstretched hand but didn't move away. "Small steps…no, that's not right…baby steps Big Man, baby steps." She said to him moving to go inside Fury's stall.

Once she entered the larger dual stall that housed Fury and Charcoal she shot the bolt and opened their stalls, going outside, she opened Wraths, and per his typical morning routine he rocketed out to run around the pasture. Brennan decided to walk through the pasture, the smell of the grass and the trees after the rain the night before was intoxicating, everything smelled fresh and new. She was walking along and sipping her coffee, watching the horses as they explored the large grassy area again. She stopped in the middle of the pasture and looked back to the house, everything about this part of Wyoming called to her, she felt so at peace and calm here. She sat down in the knee high grass and allowed the morning to come over her slowly and carefully.

Booth slammed his hand down on the alarm again, every nine minutes for the past 36 minutes, he'd put the alarm back into snooze mode. He'd gone to the hotel last night and after checking on Gunn, had gone straight to his room and opened what would turn out to be the second of many cold beers. Three quarters of the way through a half rack he'd bought at the store it dawned on him that he wasn't going to be able to self medicate himself to sleep. So, in desperation, he'd tried something that he hadn't done in years. Afterwards, cleaning himself up, he'd felt disgust and shame rather than any actual release or relief. Lying back on the bed wearing nothing but his boxers, he'd even tried to watch an infomercial to fall asleep. Not only did it not do the trick, but he'd found himself writing down the number to give it a call when he got back to DC. A vibrating back massager that attached like a belt seemed like the perfect remedy for his lower back pain.

It was hard for him to believe that they'd finally made love. He'd wanted to be with Brennan in that way for over five years. He knew that if they'd done it the first night they'd wanted to than they never would have become as close as they had. They were inseparable really. She was the first thing that he thought of at every juncture of their days together, he found that although he still trusted his gut, he wasn't able to make a concrete decision without asking her for her opinion first. Sighing in frustration he leaned back against his pillow and tried to make himself go to sleep. It must have worked because fifteen minutes before his alarm was scheduled to go off he finally fell into a fitful nap like state.

Now, he was trying to cram in sleep in nine minute intervals and it wasn't working. The next time it went off he turned it off and sat up in bed, running his hands through his hair he stood, stretched and took a quick shower. Once he was dressed and ready to go to the arena, he started outside to get Gunn. Leo was sniffing around the pasture and checking out all the new smells that appear overnight in the country, and in turn making sure that everyone knew he was still there too. He trotted over to Booth and allowed himself to be petted before scampering off to check out another tree. Booth went into the barn and Clay was standing in front of Scoot's stall carefully cutting up an apple for his pony.

"Good morning Clay, you're up pretty early today, got big plans?" Booth greeted the young boy as he walked past him to his stall.

"No Tony, just going to hang around here today. I got to go ride with Connor yesterday at the Chase ranch though. I'll probably just practice roping or something with Scoot." He handed the last bit of his apple to scoot and turned to smile at the man. Tony smiled down at him and said, "Hey, if I get out of the arena early today or home before it gets dark, do you want to go riding together? You could show me around a little?"

"Really? You'd let me ride with you?" he asked with a happy squeal.

"Sure, I'd like that; Gunn isn't getting as much action as I thought he would, so it would really help us both out."

"That'd be cool. I used to go riding with my mom and her boyfriend's all the time! It was a lot of fun."

"Boyfriends? Did your mom have a lot of boyfriends?" He asked cautiously. He hated questioning a young boy, but kids often spoke more freely than adults.

"She had a couple, after my dad died she was lonely I think. Aunt Stefanie used to come over with her boyfriend and they'd hang out, but then something happened because she stopped coming over as much."

"Do you know why your Aunt stopped coming over?" he asked, pulling a comb through Gunn's mane while the boy kept talking.

"I don't know what really happened, Jax told me it was because he saw Aunt Stefanie kissing Jake and that made Mama mad, but I don't think it was that…"

"Did your mom have one boyfriend that she liked more than the others?"

"I don't know really." He paused briefly and then said, "I always liked Dirk. He was nice to me and Jax, he would come and get us when Mama was on the circuit and take us to the rodeos and stuff. He didn't make fun of Jax like Chuck did."

"Why did Chuck make fun of Jax?" Booth thought he was onto something, he didn't know that Dirk and Stella had a relationship, he only knew about Chuck.

"Because Jax talked funny, he had a stutter; Mama said that our daddy had a stutter too. She used to say that we each had the part of our daddy that made us special, Jax got his stutter and I got his smile…" he stopped talking and looking down to the ground he heaved a big sigh and then looked up at Booth, "I miss Jax Tony. Sometimes when Aunt Stefanie comes over, she shows me baby pictures and stuff from when we were little, that makes me feel better, but it makes her sadder."

Booth felt terrible for this little boy. He was so young, but had already seen so much in his life. "Do any of those pictures have your daddy in them?"

"No, Aunt Stefanie said that Mama burned them all when he died. But, Aunt Stefanie has one in her wallet; I saw it, right next to a picture of me and Jax when we was babies."

"I'm sure your mama and daddy loved you very much Clay, your brother too. I've met your Aunt Stefanie, she seems pretty nice, I bet she loves you just as much." Booth told him quietly.

"Yeah, Aunt Stefanie is cool. She had to go to the hospital for a long time when we were babies. Mama says that it's because she was sick, but that she got better and then she went on the circuit with Mama, but I'm glad that she's here now. I like being with her, she looks like Mama and she talks like her and sometimes when I close my eyes and think real hard, she even feels like Mama." He reached up and patted Scoot's forehead and then smiling at Tony said, "Well, I gotta go get the eggs for Gramma and then I'm gonna have breakfast, do you want to help?"

Booth swallowed hard, he wasn't sure he could get anything out around the lump in his throat, but managed to say, "Thanks for the invitation Clay, but I'm going to load Gunn up and head to the arena, maybe another morning?"

"Okay Tony! I'll see you later then if you can." He patted Gunn on the nose as Leo came up and the two of them lurched out of the barn to the small coop beside it.

Booth watched the two of them leave and thought that there was something more about Stella and Stefanie that needed to come into the light. His gut was telling him that they were the key to finding out who killed Elizabeth, and possibly who killed Stella and her son as well.


	24. Chapter 20

**BOAB CH20**

Brennan stood carefully and stretched her back and arms over her head, dusting off her but she dumped out the dregs of her coffee and walked back to the barn to head into the house for her morning. She was just entering the house when her phone began to ring, grabbing it, she said, "Hello?"

"Roxie?"

"Danni?"

"Yeah, listen we don't have any appointments today since we're going to be putting the boarding house back together and just cleaning up the office, so why don't you bring one of the horses in and we'll go riding afterwards?"

Brennan decided that would be a good way to get the girls to get talking more about themselves which she desperately needed in order to get information about the back stories that we're piling up, so she replied, "I think that's a great idea, do I need to bring anything?"

"Yeah, grab a sixer and something to eat, just in case we're out later than expected, who knows how long it's going to take to get the office back together."

"Okay, I'll be in soon, I've got to get the trailer hitched up and get dressed, who all would be going?" Brennan wasn't sure she could look Booth in the eye this soon, she was still sure of her decision where the two of them were concerned, but she was less sure of his reaction.

"Just us girls most likely, Mal might go, but I doubt it. He mostly keeps to himself."

"Sounds like fun; I'll see you soon then." She told Danni hanging up the phone. Brennan grabbed a six pack of beer and put it into a knapsack, she made a couple of sandwiches and grabbed some granola bars and added them to the sack. Pulling on her jeans she noticed the small bruises on her upper thighs and sat down abruptly on the bed. Seeing the all too physical reminder of their time in the barn was jarring her in a way that she didn't expect. It was almost like it was real now. She lightly put her finger over the top of one of the small bruises and thought back over the night before.

Once Booth arrived at the arena, he unloaded Gunn and saddled him up, riding him the ridiculously short distance to where the rest of the guys were sitting on their horses. Curtis greeted him with a tug of his hat, "Man, you look like crap; you weren't out with us last night, so what's the story?"

Booth grimaced slightly and said, "Stupid hotel bed, still getting used to it."

"It'll get better when you get a bunny or two in there Man," Jake said laughing. The guys started to tease each other until Doug came over and told them what they'd be doing for the day. Booth, Curtis, Chuck and Dirk were going to be working on 'shadowing'. Dirk explained that's what the additional riders were doing when in the arena with the bronc riders. They were there to help them out of the riggings and ropes if they got trapped during a ride. He and Chuck would be the riders and Curtis and Booth would learn how to recognize when to bring Gunn and Honey over and pull the strap. The four of them headed over to the main arena and got started, while the rest of them began working through some other events they would be helping with.

Brennan got Fury loaded up, deciding that he was going to be the best bet as far as temperament was concerned, and she didn't want to try to ride Wrath just yet. Driving into town she began to recognize some of the songs on the radio and was singing along to one she particularly liked when she pulled into the parking lot of the vet's office.

_"Ain't nothin' like a kiss out back in the barn wringin' out our soakin' clothes, ridin' out a thunderstorm when tin roof gets to talkin'; that's the best love we made yea where I come from, rain is a good thing, rain makes corn, corn makes whiskey, whiskey makes my baby feel a little frisky, back roads are boggin' up, my buddies pile up in my truck we hunt our honeys down, we take 'em into town start washin' all our worries down the drain, rain is a good thing…" _she let the words die down as she walked into the office and heard the rest of the song on the radio, smiling when she heard Danni, Carrie and Stefanie belting the song out as well. She joined them and they finished off in grand style.

"Thank god that song is only played once an hour all day long," Mal remarked from the entrance to his private office as he grinned at the girls.

"Oh knock it off Mal; we've all heard you butcher a song or two in your time." Danni said.

Laughing, they all turned back to what they'd been doing when Roxie walked in, "Can I put Fury in the barn?" she asked, stowing her purse in the file cabinet.

"Sure, that's fine; you can turn him out in the pasture if you want." Mal said, ducking back into his office. Brennan exited the main office and began unloading Fury when Mal came out of the side door, "Going to go riding with the girls today?" he asked.

Startled she turned to him, "I thought so; Danni seemed to think we may be done early tonight, why?"

"No reason, maybe if we get done, I'll go with you too, it has been a while since I've been on a ride."

Brennan raised her eyebrow and said, "Why don't you ask Cordelia to go for a ride sometime? I'm sure she'd love to spend some time with you."

"Ahh…Cordie," he paused and blushed, "She's a nice lady and I like Connor a lot, but I'm not sure I'm ready for the level of commitment that she's ready for."

"Why not?" She asked, leading Fury to the barn as he followed.

"Cordelia is a great woman, she's very strong and independent, she's beautiful and intelligent and we have a great time when we're together." He stopped and tossed a large rock out of the path and into the side brush beside the barn as she and Fury walked through the open doors.

"So far I'm not seeing a down side to this Mal," Brennan said.

"Well, what if we do go out and we do get together and then something happens and we can't be together again? I have a professional relationship with her and she's a very good friend, I don't think that I would be able to just go back to being her 'friend' or her 'vet', if we weren't to work out." He told her latching the gate behind her as she exited Fury's stall.

"It seems to me like you are afraid to try Mal, after all, what happens if nothing happens and you are both happy? Wouldn't it be worth the try?" The two of them walked towards the office, "I would think you'd never know unless you try."

"Maybe you're right Dr. Brenn-Roxie," he amended quickly, "But for now I think I'd rather just keep things the way they are, no one gets hurt either way." He held the door open for her and they went inside to begin to put the boarding office and kennels back in order.

The five of them were working steadily along when Brennan started unboxing some pain relievers, remembering what Angela had told her she turned to Mal and said, "Mal, do you ever use Ether?"

Mal stood and stretched his back and walking over to her said, "Not anymore, there's a lot more pain management drugs out there that work better than Ether, I don't think anyone besides the cowboys use Ether anymore, why?"

Thinking quickly Brennan said, "Oh no reason really, I just remember that we used it when I was taking classes in college and although I'm familiar with most analgesics currently being used, I was a little surprised to not see any here."

"What do the cowboys use it for?" She wondered aloud as she turned back to stacking the bottles on the shelf.

"They put it on cloths and then waft it in front of particularly stubborn bulls to calm them down while they're putting them in the chutes, the effect is temporary enough to get them loaded up, but mostly gone by the time they are ready to have a rider. I usually order a case or so of it before the rodeo season ramps up and then give it to the arena, that way they don't have to provide a medical certificate for it."

Brennan tucked that bit of information away to share with Booth later, "Who takes the delivery of it at the arena?" she asked, "I mean, you have to keep track of it right?"

Mal broke down a box and laid it on a pile to be recycled and started in on another one, "Normally Jake or Dirk sign for it, they're the two with the medical experience out there, they both were in the same guard unit in Texas for a while." He said absently.

"Oh."

Carrie poked her head in and said, "Hey you two, we're gonna go get some food, want to put in an order or join us?"

Mal inclined his head towards Brennan, allowing her to make the decision, "Yes, I'd love to take a break, where did you have in mind?"

Stefanie came in, followed closely by Danni, "We were thinking about heading into town and going to Beefy's."

"Beefy's?" Brennan asked her voice rising as she pictured in her mind what kind of food they were most likely to serve.

Seeing the look on her face Mal said, "It's like a Denny's Roxie, you can get salads too."

Brennan smiled and said, "Beefy's it is, let me just get my purse out of my truck." She wanted to tell Booth about the Ether.

"Your purse is in the file cabinet Roxie," Danni said linking her arm and escorting her out of the inner office, "besides, this is on us."

Brennan had no choice but to allow herself to be dragged along and after hopping into Danni's car, she told herself she would just excuse herself to the ladies room and text Booth when she got the opportunity.

Booth took his cap off and wiped his forehead with the back of his arm, he slid off of Gunn and loosened the saddle slightly and turned him out into the smaller arena next to the chutes. He grabbed a bottle of water from the cooler and settled down into the shade with the others, he was hoping that he didn't look as bad as he thought he had on top of the unfamiliar horse. He leaned back against the fence rail and listened to the other guys talk and was being lulled to sleep when he got a text and straightened up. Seeing him jump, Jake laughed and said, "Wake up Tony!"

He smiled and pulled his phone from his pocket, "B-Ether used at arena by Dirk & Jake, they were medics in the guard in Texas. Bones". He read her note quickly and was starting to respond when he got another one from her, "Going riding today after work with the girls and maybe Mal-will text you when I get back, will be late. Bones".

Booth re-read her second text and sent her a reply, "Have fun. Booth". He knew then that she was making good on her statement that they were going to be Tony and Roxie rather than Booth and Brennan. Irritated that she was able to keep things so casual when every molecule in his body was straining for a repeat performance and he desperately wanted them to have the conversation they would have to have before returning to their real lives, he shoved his phone back into his pocket.

Seeing the dejected look on his face Curtis said, "What's up man?"

"Nothing Curtis, just girl crap, you know how it is." He said turning to listen to their conversations.

"Ahhh…that's what happens when you get cooped up instead of staying free range," Jesse said with a laugh, "Is that your girl back home?"

"One of them," Tony replied with a grin, he wasn't going to let this stop him from finding the killer and if she wanted to be like that, let her.

"That's the man!" Dirk hollered. "We're going to the 'horn tonight, you rubes up for it?"

Curtis and Tony looked at each other and shrugged, "Sure, let's do it." Curtis said, for once not thinking of the dark eyed girl that had been on his mind since the first time they went to the bar. The guys all began talking again and Booth settled back against the rail, thinking of a way to get Dirk and Jake to talk about their time in the guard and find out where the Ether was stored.


	25. Chapter 21

BOAB CH21

The girls pulled into the parking lot of Beefy's and exited laughing over the lyrics to a song on the radio. "I mean really, who thinks this stuff up?" Danni said giggling.

"I don't know, 'And I left a six-pack right there on his grave and I said, God is great, beer is good, and people are crazy', those are some Grammy award winning lyrics there!" Stefanie said as they poured into the entry way.

"I don't know about a Grammy, but I'm pretty sure he won some sort of ACM award or something for it, I just would never have thought to put those sentiments together myself." Roxie said closing the door behind her.

"Sentiments? That's awful fancy talk there Ms. Roxie," Carrie teased with a smile on her face.

Blushing Brennan said, "Some of us like to look at the books with words in them Carrie, instead of the skinny, shiny books that are full of celebrities."

"Touché."

The four of them followed the skinny red headed host to their table and ordered ice tea to start, in the case of Danni and Carrie their ice tea was provided by the good folks in Lynchburg Tennessee which got them all on the discussion of another outrageous country song by Brad Paisley.

"Speaking of Brad," Stefanie said after the waiter had taken their order, "I'm thinking of taking Clay to see him when he comes to Cheyenne in the fall, you think he'll enjoy it?"

"Really? Clay? I'm sure he'd love it, but that's a little outside your normal range with him isn't it?" Danni said sipping her 'tea'.

"I don't know, he's old enough and if I can convince him to leave Leo at home he might enjoy himself." Stefanie said with a soft smile for the boy.

"Do you have a picture of him?" Roxie asked, "I've heard you all talk about him and Stella but I've never seen him."

"Sure." Stefanie pulled her wallet out of her pocket and began to thumb through it to get a picture of Clay out when Roxie reached over and stopped her pointing to another picture, "Who's that? He is gorgeous!"

Stefanie quickly flipped the picture over and said, "Oh, that's no one, just an old friend, he's been gone for a long time, here, here's a picture of Clay." She handed Roxie a Christmas photo of the two of them and Santa, Clay looked just like her and also resembled someone else. Someone that Brennan had met recently. "He's adorable Stefanie, he looks like…Jesse. Are they related?" She knew that she was pushing and fishing but time was running short and they needed to get some hard evidence linking someone to the killings sooner rather than later.

"Jesse?" Carrie laughed loudly, "I don't think he looks like Jesse at all, let me see that." She took the picture and looked closely at it, "Well, maybe the hair color and chin, but that's it, can you imagine being related to Jesse?" she giggled and Danni joined in, "That would be 'party all the time', definitely." The waiter brought their meals and Roxie watched Stefanie put the picture back in her wallet carefully and take an extra second to look at the picture of the blonde cowboy on horseback as well.

"I think you are all delusional, he doesn't look anything like Jesse. He looks like Stella and Jax." Stefanie's tone was unintentionally brusque.

"I'm sorry Stefanie, I didn't mean to pry." Roxie said, touching her hand briefly, "I don't have anyone like Clay in my life; I guess I was just being a little pushy."

"That's okay Roxie; it's just a little confusing when you don't know all the back history. I don't mind, Clay is a great kid and I love him like he was my own, more now that I'm all he has." She turned to her meal and the girls began discussing past bonfires they'd had and the one that was upcoming. After lunch Brennan excused herself to go to the ladies room and while she was in there, she checked her phone and there were no messages from Booth, not that she really expected anything new to have developed, but she felt like she needed to talk to him.

Exiting the ladies room she was surprised to see Stefanie in the corner huddled over her phone, she paused briefly, hating that she was eavesdropping on what was definitely a personal conversation, but also needing to know if it may be pertinent. She really liked Stefanie and didn't want for her to be tangled up in something bigger than she could handle.

"I know mom, I understand that, but this weekend is going to be difficult." Stefanie said in a harsh whisper, "I'm not trying to 'hide' from anything." There was a reply on the other end to which she said, 'I know that! I don't think this is the right time, I'll know when it's right."

Brennan moved past her and mimed that she meet her up front, "Fine, mom, listen, I'll be out there tomorrow after work and we can talk more then okay? Give him a hug for me and tell him I'll see him tomorrow."

"Is he there?"

"With Leo right?"

"No, I don't have time to wait, I have to get back to work, just tell him I'll see him tomorrow." Stefanie hung up the phone and taking a moment to brush her hair back from her face, pasted a false smile on her face as she made her way back to the table.

"Well, ladies, are we ready?" Carrie asked, pulling her wallet out.

"I'm ready, let's get that office whipped into shape and then go see what kind of horse Roxie has." Danni said, standing up, "Steff, are you okay?"

Distracted, Stefanie was looking out the window, "What? Oh, yeah, I'm fine, just," she rolled her eyes, "You know how my mom is, she wants me to come over for dinner tonight and I'm just not sure I can handle three days in one week, you know? I told Clay I'd be over tomorrow and Sunday of course, but, well you know moms, right?" She shrugged her shoulders and stood up.

"Believe me, I know mom's alright," Carrie said, "Mine is certainly not a candidate for parent of the year. Remember that time Dirk was sick and Tyson was workin' and mom said that Dirk was just fakin' it to not have to go plow?" She turned to Roxie and continued, "My step daddy was at work and Dirk came in from the field just drippin' sweat and tellin' Mama that he felt funny, she told him he was lazy and to get back on the tractor, she was watchin' her stories and didn't want to be interrupted. He came to where me and Danni were playin' by the barn and looked positively grey, so we got him up in the old truck Tyson kept on the ranch to feed the cows and stuff with and drove him into town."

Danni jumped in, "Neither one of us was old enough to drive, or tall enough to reach the pedals and steer at the same time, so I worked the pedals and Carrie steered. It was a good thing to, Dirk's appendix had ruptured and we got him there just in time." The two of them shared a smile, and then Carrie said, "Yeah, boy was Tyson mad when he saw the sheriff driving his truck back to the ranch, he thought that Dirk had taken it and gotten in trouble or something." She stopped and looked at Danni.

"What did your mom do?" Roxie said, wondering how a mother could be like that.

"She told Tyson that she'd been picking beans and hadn't heard us calling her and that us 'fool kids' could've gotten all of us killed, of course Tyson believed her. She spent the rest of the weekend hanging over Dirk like he'd invented 'General Hospital' or something." Carrie said with obvious disgust.

"I'm sorry, that sounds terrible Carrie, it's a good thing you were there."

Shrugging she opened the car doors with her remote and they all got in, "Oh it's nothing, I got a million of stories like that, it's a wonder Tyson stayed as long as he did. What about you, what's the dirt behind you Roxie? Got a sordid past?"

"Incredibly. It's the stuff that romance novels that end up on the cutting room floor are made of. Someday when I've had more than enough to drink I'll share some of it with you, okay?" They all laughed as Carrie drove them back to the office.

~Meanwhile~


	26. Chapter 22

BOAB CH22

Tony and Curtis spent much of the rest of the afternoon practicing pulling another rider onto their saddle from his, in anticipation of having to help a cowboy in trouble from a bronc. They also did a little foot work in the arena, trying to anticipate sudden moves from a 2100 pound pissed off bull. Jesse and Dirk used their cutting horses to simulate the 'bull' and really worked the two new boys out. By the end of the work day, Tony was already feeling muscles he hadn't felt in years. Taking his shirt off and tucking it into his back pocket, he walked over to the water barrel and sat down on a bale of hay. He removed his hat and wiped his arm across his brow. Curtis, also shirtless walked up and got himself a bottle of water. "Man, it's been a long time since I had to do that much work on my feet, I prefer being in a saddle or a soft bed, you know?" he grinned and drained the bottle in one gulp.

"Yeah, I know what you mean; I forgot how hard that kind of work could be." Booth said, wondering what the hell he was doing here. He hadn't gotten anywhere on the case, he and Brennan had finally slept together and that was just surreal; not to mention he was genuinely enjoying himself, which in this environment was definitely not something he saw coming. Chuck and Doug came by and told the two of them to call it a day; they were all heading to the Longhorn and would see them there. Nodding at his 'boss', Booth stood and stretched and was just reaching back to pull on his shirt when a low whistle made him turn around. "Whoooo…just look at that, would ya?" a woman said standing behind him. Her companion simply nodded and smiled. "Hi Hon," She said snapping her gum, "Is Doug around?"

Booth took the woman in from the tip of her stiletto heels to the top of her dark brown hair arranged carefully to frame her gorgeous face, after wondering how it was she could even get into jeans that tight, he pointed back over his shoulder, "He went that way Ma'am."

"Ma'am?" She laughed, "Aren't you precious, Ma'am, honey, I'm not a Ma'am, you can just call me Lilah, Doug's my old man. This here is my little sister, Catherine." Booth looked over and although she wasn't dressed as flashy as her sister, Catherine was just as pretty. She too had long dark hair and clear blue eyes, she reminded him somewhat of Brennan in fact. Catherine extended her hand and said, "Hi, you are?"

"Uh, I'm Tony. Tony Scallion and this is Curtis," he pointed to Curtis who also extended his hand, "pleasedtomeetcha." He mumbled.

Lilah smiled and winked, "You new kids are just as cute as a pack of puppies, well, maybe we'll see you later, you headin' to the 'horn?" She asked over her shoulder as she and Catherine made their way towards the direction Booth had pointed out. "Yes Ma'am, I mean Lilah." Curtis said quickly.

"I don't know, I promised a friend I'd go riding this evening, so I'm not sure." Tony said thinking of his earlier conversation with Clay and knowing that he wasn't really ready to go to the bar tonight, as mad as he was about how he and Bones had played their hand, alcohol wasn't going to be a good choice for him tonight. "That's too bad," Catherine said, "I would have loved to have bought you a drink. Oh well, maybe some other time then." She said.

"Yeah, maybe." Booth told her watching her walk away and wondering why he was always in the wrong place at the right time.

Curtis turned to Tony and said, "What the hell is wrong with you? You promised someone you were going to riding tonight? Unless that's code for you and some buckle bunny are going to bounce the bedsprings are you out of your mind? That girl is hot and unless I'm completely blind she thinks you are too Man, come on you have to come to the bar tonight."

Booth and Curtis started to walk back to the holding pen to get Gunn and Honey, "I don't know, it's complicated Curtis, I mean, yeah she's hot and all that, but what about Ro.." he stopped speaking, and Curtis cut in, "You mean Roxie? Oh man, you gotta tell me, did you hit that?"

Tony rolled his eyes and said, "I'm not telling you anything about anyone, I just think there is something there and since the girl I have back home can't make up her damn mind, maybe I should…I dunno, maybe."

Shaking his head as he swung into the saddle, "Man, you got it bad, well hopefully you'll show up tonight, maybe the girls will come to the 'horn tonight too? I know I'd like to see Danni again."

"Maybe I'll see you, if not, tomorrow for sure." Booth said leading Gunn to the trailer. He loaded him up and pulling his shirt back on, climbed into the cab of the rickety old truck and cranked it over. Barely sputtering to life he tapped the gas to make sure it was going to stay running and turned on the radio as he headed out of the parking lot. A maudlin country song was playing by some guy named Kenny Chesney. He listened to the words and groaned, _'Every day I need you even more, and the night time too, there's no way I could ever let you go, even if I wanted to.' _He quickly turned the dial until he got classic rock and let the guitar riffs banish the sentimental song from the cab, _who writes that crap?_ He thought to himself, _it's ridiculous, real life doesn't follow a song and songs shouldn't follow real life._

He kept up the running litany of doubt and irritation all the way to the hotel and even after he'd unloaded Gunn into the pasture he was still trying to convince himself that Bones was right, they had no reason to be together and aside from partners and friends they needed to just step away from any other type of relationship. Watching Gunn trot around and toss his head, snorting at piles of taller grass and having fun out from under the saddle, the sun starting to begin it's long descent into night, he knew that no matter what he told himself, he loved her and he'd take as long as she needed before she loved him back. Taking off his hat, he ran his hands through his short cropped hair and said under his breath, "Ah crap, what am I doing?"

He put his hat back on and walked into the barn; Leo ran up and greeted him with his nose in his crotch. "Hey buddy, watch it," he said as he patted his head and directed his muzzle elsewhere. "Tony!" Clay shouted from the top of a pile of hay bales, "Do you still want to go riding?" his excited voice echoed off the rafters of the large barn. Looking up Booth saw him sitting with his legs outstretched, a half finished horsehair rope in his hands, "Whatch got there Bud?" Tony asked walking over to the large hay stack.

"I'm braiding a rope from horsehair, my Aunt showed me how," He told him, tucking it carefully around his arm and upper chest before pushing off of the hay to drop into the slight mound at the bottom. As soon as he pushed off, Booth reacted but it was too late, he wasn't close enough to catch him and he watched as Clay fell into the mound below, "CLAY! CLAY! Are you okay?" he asked jumping over to where the mound was and reaching in to grab him. Clay climbed up and stood, covered in hay from head to toe he shook himself and grabbed Tony's arm to steady himself as he climbed out of the hay, "I'm fine Tony, I've jumped hundred's of times' before." The two of them helped him brush off the rest of the hay and he handed him the rope, "See, you braid the hair and then add in a ribbon, my Aunt said my daddy showed her how to do it a long time ago, horsehair ropes are pretty strong and you never know when you're gonna need one."

Booth took the rope into his hands and examined the tight braid, "This is really nice Clay, you're doing a great job, maybe you can show me how to do that?"

"Sure, I'll see if Aunt Stefanie can't get me some more hair when she comes over on Sunday, it's pretty easy, you just have to make sure that you tighten it after each strand, that's the secret." He looped the rope over a nail on the barn wall and went over to Scoot's stall. "So you still want to go for a ride?" Clay looked up shyly at the big man, "I mean, if you're not too tired?"

"Sure, let me change my clothes real quick and grab some water, then we can go, sound good? Do you need any help with Scoot?"

"Alright! Nope, I can get Scoot ready to go, I'll meet you at the pasture." Clay grinned and pulled open the heavy wooden door his pony was behind, "Thanks Tony!"

Booth smiled at the boy, reminding him so much of Parker and ruffled his hair, "No problem Bud." He left the barn and headed over to his room, checking his phone out of habit as he walked. No phone calls from Bones, but there was a text message from Hodgins, 'Horsehair found on remains of Elizabeth, mixed w/synthetic material, poss ribbon or hair tie? Still checking-check in later-Dr.H'. He stopped and re-read the text, _horsehair and ribbon?_ he thought to himself. He immediately thought back to the horsehair rope Clay was braiding, his aunt had showed him how to make it, and his father had shown her. Booth wondered just what it was that he and Bones had stumbled into and hoped that Stefanie's part in all of it was just coincidental. He opened his door and went inside to change his shirt and grab a flannel; he also switched his baseball cap out for his cowboy hat and grabbed a couple of water bottles and granola bars. Locking up he came out to go get Gunn saddled up.


	27. Chapter 23

BOAB CH23

Brennan and the girls finished up the office in no time after lunch and began to head out to the barn when the doors were locked and the lights turned off, Malcolm was out there with Zoe trying to convince her to go back to her pups. "So, ladies going to go and see what the hills have to offer for a while?" he said as they led their horses in to get saddled up.

"We thought we might, want to join us?" Roxie responded, looping the stirrup over the horn on the saddle to tighten the cinch.

"No thanks Roxie, I think I may just go on home, I've got some books to look over, we have an early procedure tomorrow, and I want to be ready for it."

"Maybe you should call Cordelia; I bet she'd like to help you study?" Roxie teased, pulling the stirrup back down and putting her sandwiches and water into the saddle bag. Malcolm had the good sense to blush and said, "Maybe I will. I'll let you know, be safe and have fun." He waved at the rest of them and then latched the barn door behind them as he headed out to the parking lot and his truck. Danni and the girls led the way out of the pasture and onto the dirt road that paralleled the pasture. "We won't go much further than an hour in or so, it's pretty easy terrain up here, but the clouds are pretty dark over that way," Steff said pointing to the mountains they were heading to, "We don't want to get caught out there without any protection."

"Hey, I'm on your turf here, you girls lead the way and I'll follow." Roxie told them.

Carrie leaned back and said, "Well, then try and keep up Miss Thing, because Sultan here likes to boogie!" She heeled her horse and he took off like a shot, screaming "Yeehaw" at the top of her lungs, she bent low over his neck and used the extra reins to slap him on either side of his neck to encourage his speed. Danni rolled her eyes and leaned back over Popcorn's flank, "That girl is one bubble off of plumb." Then she encouraged Popcorn to catch up with her best friend and Stefanie and Roxie had no chance but to follow. Fury was up for the task after all, his quiet and shy demeanor disappeared as he took off, and confident to follow his lead Brennan felt comfortable with the big gray horse under her. The four horses slowed just short of the gate that ended at the road, Stefanie jumped down and unlocked it and then mounted back up as they headed into the meadow. Brennan was floored. It was beautiful up here; she looked back towards the vet's office and saw that they'd already traveled quite far. The waist high grass and wildflowers bent and swayed in the slight breeze and watching the dust from the hooves settle she felt at peace. While the others rode ahead, she surreptiously pulled her phone out to check for a signal, although it wasn't full bars, she did have enough to see that there was no communication from anyone. She felt a little dejected at that, but shook it off to catch up to the girls.

Leo loped ahead of the two boys as they started up a path that ran behind the barn, every now and again he would stop and sniff a clump of grass or a rock and then tear off again in an entirely different direction. Just watching him was making Booth dizzy, he remembered a dog that he and Jared had had as a kid and knew just what Leo meant to Clay. "Leo seems to enjoy being off the leash, you must have really spent a lot of time training him when he was a pup huh Clay?" Booth asked.

Clay turned to look up at him, "No, he's never been on a leash, he's just always done what he was told. When we were little mama used to ask him to watch me and Jax and he'd grab our diapers when we crawled off the blanket or whatever. At least that's what my mom told me." He grinned his dimpled grin.

"Well that's pretty handy then, he's a good dog." Booth grinned back. "So, where are we headed?"

"I go up to the top of that butte with my aunt all the time, so I thought we could head up there. It's not that far and you can see the whole valley from the top. It's an easy ride too." He pointed to the top of the butte in front of them.

"That's pretty big, you're sure that's where you want to go?" Booth asked looking up to the very top. He wasn't too sure he really wanted to go up there, limited as he was with horseback skills he didn't want to embarrass himself or worse need to be rescued by a kid.

"It's fine, there is a path and it's pretty level. If Scoot can make it, I'm sure Gunn can Tony." Clay told him, as he leaned down to pat Scoot's neck, "but, if you're scared, there's a quarter horse out in front of the Wal-Mart you can ride if you'd like?"

His face was completely serious and it took Booth a moment to realize he was being put on by a kid and quite well too. Smirking and winking down at Clay he said, "I think I'll be fine, but thanks for the offer."

The two of them looked at each other for a second and then they both laughed out loud, Clay spurred Scoot on and the little pony took off at a fast trot, he was waving his hat in the air and yelling, "Yee Haw," as the two of them took off up the trail. Booth grinned and shook his head, he would love to introduce this kid to Parker, taking his own hat off and imitating Clay he quickly caught up to him and then passed him turning to look back over his shoulder as Clay made Scoot go faster. The two of them traded positions on the trail for a little while longer before it became necessary to ride in a straight line.

Carrie stopped at the end of the trail where it forked to the left and right. Sitting on Sultan who was prancing in place, she waited just seconds for the rest of the girls to come to a thundering stop next to her. "Which way?" Roxie asked slightly breathless. She rode in DC, but rarely outside an arena and even more rarely at top speed. She knew she'd be feeling the after effects of today's ride in her inner thighs and butt tomorrow and was glad that she hadn't planned on resuming running while she was here. Danni pointed to the left, "There's a field up there about 20 minutes or so, we could stop there, eat a bit and then head on up to the top of the summit? What do you think girls? That's a good ride for today right?"

Stefanie responded, "I like that idea, I don't want to be up here all night with the way the weather is moving in, but I don't want to stop here either, I mean, we can still see the road from here!"

Roxie looked back and saw the long black ribbon of road barely peeking through the trees; she thought that it looked too close as well, "Once again, I defer to you ladies." Smiling they turned to the left and continued at a more sedate pace. They chatted casually for the next 20 minutes, mostly about cases at work or batty patients, including a literal bat that was brought in by a young girl, convinced that it was going to make a great pet. Malcolm made sure that the minor laceration on the wing was taken care of before releasing it into the wild and then spending the next half hour explaining to the hysterical child why the bat wasn't a good choice for a pet. Roxie laughed over that story, she'd had a spider as a kid and understood that as pets went, it wasn't the most popular choice either.

When they'd reached the clearing the girls dismounted and Danni spread out an old saddle blanket she had stashed in her bags. Pulling out their various bits of food and drink they sat down to a nice little snack. Leaning back on her hands Danni said, "This was a great idea, we don't do this as often as we used to, it's kinda fun to hang out without the guys around."

Smiling wickedly Carrie stood up and said, "I was hoping you felt that way, so I brought a little friend with us," she rose to go to her saddle and pulled out a bottle of Tequila with a flourish. "I thought this might be kind of fun too!" She brandished the bottle like a football quarterback after a super bowl victory. Dancing back to her seat on the edge of the blanket, she said, "I thought it would be fun to play a little 'truth or dare' like we did in high school. Roxie wasn't there, but I'm sure she's played before?"

Bones looked around at the other girls, all roughly the same age as her, a little younger perhaps and although she'd never played the game itself, she was aware of the general construct. Deciding that it couldn't hurt, she wasn't getting any answers any other way and there was no reason for her not to imbibe. "I'm in." She said with a smile.

"Yay!" Carrie said, pulling out four shot glasses from her backpack, "Okay, here's how it works, you take a shot and then the person to your left asks 'truth or dare'. You have to do the dare, and let's be clear here ladies, no clothes off and nothing stupid, we all have to work tomorrow, and if it's 'truth' than you have to be completely honest, okay?" The rest of them murmured words of accord and took the shot glasses from Carrie's outstretched hand.

"Okay ladies," Steff said, "Who's first?"


	28. Chapter 24

*Sorry this one is kinda lame, dragged it kicking and screaming out of the muse. Hope to get these two together and get this case movin' soon.* MK

BOAB CH24

"Okay ladies," Steff said, "Who's first?"

"I'll go," Carrie volunteered looking to her left, "Roxie, truth or dare."

Roxie took her shot and held it in her hand thinking it over and deciding that she'd start off pretty easy, "truth."

Giggling, Carrie swallowed her shot at once and said, "Okay, truth huh? truth…hmmm…well, let's see, truth…okay, how old are you?"

Roxie slammed her shot and shuddered as the tequila hit the back of her throat, and then said in a level voice, "really? I'm 35." She said, pouring Steff a shot and nodding, "Truth or dare?"

Stefanie shot the drink and said, "Truth." Roxie knew that this was a shot in the dark, but she had to get some information at some point that was going to move this investigation along, so she took a deep breath and said, "Have you ever been married?"

Stefanie groaned and rolled her eyes, "No, I've never been married, never even been close." She smiled and took the bottle from Roxie and began to pour a drink for Danni.

Danni smiled and rolled her eyes, "I can't believe I'm doing this. Dare." She had a smirk on her face and was feeling pretty emboldened.

Stefanie grinned and said, "Okay, I dare you to…climb that tree." She pointed to a large evergreen with low, thick branches. It had been ravaged of its lower branches, presumably for firewood for campers, but the remaining stumps would make it easy for her to get a leg up. Danni raised one eyebrow and looked at her and then over at the tree. She said, "You want me to climb that tree?"

"Well, not to the top, just inside the branches."

Snorting she slammed her shot and said, "Alright, watch and learn ladies, watch and learn." Danni stood up from the blanket and primly brushed off her butt from what Roxie could only assume was blanket cooties and walked purposefully to the tree. Looking up at it, she began to climb using the left over branch stumps to aid her until she was able to pull herself up onto the lowest branch. Sitting on it, her feet swinging approximately 10 feet off the ground she raised her hands above her head and said, "Ta Dah!"

The other three girls laughed and all of them took pictures with their cell phones and then formed a ring below her cajoling her to get down. She inched her way back to the trunk and slowly made her way back down and then over to the blanket. She sat down with a flourish, her hair tossed over her shoulder and grabbed the bottle of Mexico's finest exports and then waited for the rest of them to join her again. Carrie handed her the shot glass she had and allowed her to pour it full, she tipped it to Danni and said, "I'll save you the trouble of asking, truth." Then she chugged it and her whole face seemed to twitch in on itself as she said, "That's yucky." They all laughed at her and then Danni said, "Okay truth it is, when was the last time you and the Canadian Cowboy hooked up?"

Her jaw dropped and she was instantly indignant, "I'm not answering that. Ask me something else." She folded her arms across her chest and looked at her best friend.

"You have to ask, that's the way the game is played Carrie, so if you don't answer it, you have to chug another shot." Danni folded her arms across her chest and stared her down.

Huffing her breath out quickly and puffing her cheeks she said, "Fine Danielle Denise, the last time I was with my guy was at the end of last years' big ride in Cheyenne."

Danni and Stefanie both raised their eyebrows, "It's been that long?" Stef said, "Wow, I can't believe you have been…well…celibate that long!"

"It's been like 10 months, not years. I'm not worried about it, we talk a lot and he said if he makes the final go around he'll be here for this rodeo and if he doesn't then we'll meet up at the end of the season. It's no big deal you know."

"If you say so," Danni said whistling between her teeth. She handed the bottle to Carrie who in turn poured a shot for Roxie, "Truth or dare Roxie."

Roxie decided that she wasn't really intoxicated enough to do anything foolish so she said, "Truth."

Carrie waited until she swallowed her shot and said, "When was the last time you hooked up? And who was it with?"

Roxie began to cough and sputter, putting her hand over her mouth she tried to keep the tequila down and her eyes from watering. "Um, wow." She said after she was done coughing. "The last time I hooked up with someone was…" She could have said, _'a few days ago and it was amazing and a long time coming with the most skilled and amazing lover I could have ever imagined'_, but instead she decided that she couldn't risk blowing their cover and said, "about three months ago or so, it was a 'goodbye' thing with my ex boyfriend."

"Ooohhh, an ex boyfriend, we definitely need to explore that a little further over beers or something, but let's get through this next round and then we may need to pack it up, it looks as though the storm is coming through after all." Carried nodded over the girls' heads and they all turned to see the clouds had gathered while they were chatting and was building up to be a big, heavy rainstorm.

Roxie poured a shot for Stefanie and said, "Well lady, it's all you now, Truth or dare?"

Stefanie was really not feeling the urge to make a fool of herself, so she said, "Truth." She smiled above the rim of her glass and threw the shot down her throat. Roxie smiled back at her and said, "When was the last time you hooked up?"

Stefanie reacted a lot better than Roxie did to that question and said calmly, "Last night."

Danni squealed as did Carrie and they both bombarded her with questions, "With who?"

"Was it with who I think it was?"

"Was it good? Oh please tell me it was good!"

"Are you going to tell us? Who was it? Are you going to do it again?"

Stefanie laughed at the two of them and Roxie just sat there wondering what this was going to do to the theory she'd been working on. Usually she left the theorizing to Booth and although the rest of her team was discouraged from conjecture, she knew they often bounced theories off of Booth and each other, while she just tried hard to stick to the facts. This case was baffling because there were so many people that could have done it, she and Booth needed to get together and try to narrow down the pool, they only had another few days before this place was going to be overrun with cowboys and cowgirls, stock and their families and any evidence or chance they would have to ferret the killer out was going to get slimmer and slimmer.

Looking smug but slightly apprehensive, Stefanie didn't really want to answer, but she also knew the other two would never stop asking, sighing she said, "Jake. Yes it was good. I don't know. That's all you get, you vultures."

The other two looked at each other and grinned. Leaning back on her hands, Carrie said, "I knew there was something going on between you two, I just knew it."

"Yay for you Carrie, you figured it out, now whose next?" Stefanie said, shaking the half empty bottle at the middle of the blanket.

"I'm next." Danni said grabbing the bottle and attempted to pour her shot without sloshing it over the top, she succeeded barely. She set the bottle back down on the blanket and looked to Stefanie for the question.

"Truth or Dare?"

"Well, since none of you need to know about my sex life, I will say dare." She winked at Roxie who winked back.

"Dare?" Carrie whined, "That's lame."

Stefanie took a deep breath and said, "I dare you to tell us the last time you 'hooked up' and who it was with." She curled her lip and clucked her tongue; there was no way that Danni could get avoid giving up the goods now.

"Stefanie I would like to say that you are no longer my number two friend, instead Roxie has slid into that spot and you have been moved to slot number three. However, I will answer your 'dare'. The last time I hooked up was 5 months ago and he shall remain nameless and no I don't think it will happen again." She looked sad as the words left her mouth and looked out over the top of Carrie's head, back towards the entrance of the meadow. Knowing when to push and when not to, her friends wisely said nothing. The mood shifted suddenly as they all started thinking about where they were personally and with whom.

Stefanie really liked Jake and he was good for her, but her heart belonged to someone else and they both knew it. Jake told her it didn't matter that he'd be there for her as long as it took and she knew that he was the kind that meant what he said. Carrie often thought about her guy and wished he was on the same circuit as the rest of the cowboys she was familiar with, but on the other hand he was much better off on the professional tour like he was. Danni knew that the guy she'd been with was a mistake, a means to an end, try as she might she couldn't get the image of the one guy she wanted out of her head, although for some reason, an image of Curtis floated before her minds' eye briefly every now and again.

Roxie made the decision to gather up the things and she started with the last of the tequila, tipping the bottle back, she was going to make a phone call as soon as she was in the safety of her own truck. Maybe it was the tequila talking initially but she hoped that soon she and Booth would be talking.

The four of them got the horses ready and mounted up, laughing, the dark moment over, they started heading back down the trail towards the vet's office and their respective trucks.

Clay and Tony made it to the top of the summit in short order and dismounted. Looking all around at the beautiful vista's surrounding the butte Tony took a deep breath and smiled. This was so different from where he usually spent his days and he found that as much as he needed the concrete jungle, this was somewhere he could really relax. Looking over at Clay who was leaning against Scoot and looking over the valley himself, he smiled up at Tony and patted his leg for Leo to come over to him.

"This is a great view Clay, thank you for sharing it with me." Tony said.

"You're welcome Tony. It is pretty cool. Aunt Stefanie told me that my dad proposed to my mom up here, and that she told him about me and Jax up here. Aunt Stefanie said it's a special place. I guess it is, but I just like it because I can get to it by myself and because it makes me feel…well, normal." He paused and stroked Leo's head.

"What do you mean normal?" Tony asked, filing away the information about his mom and dad.

"I don't get to do some of the stuff that the other guy's do because of my leg. Grandma is afraid I'll get hurt so I get excused from PE class at school, and no one really wants to come hang out at the hotel with me, except Connor. He's older than me and can ride without a chaperone so he gets to go over to Travis's house and I can't unless I can get a ride, Grandma has to stay here and Aunt Stefanie is always at work, so it's usually just me and Leo. So, when I come up here, even when it's with my Aunt, or you, I feel normal, like I'm just a regular kid instead of a gimp."

Tony's nostrils flared at Clay calling him that, "Who called you a gimp Clay?" He was furious, knowing full well that it was probably someone his own age at school and that's what kids did, but still angry at how that made Clay feel.

"Chuck." Clay said quietly looking out over the valley again.


	29. Chapter 25

**BOAB CH25**

Booth clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white with the effort to not react the way he should in front of this kid. He took a deep breath and knelt in front of the boy, he put his hand lightly on his arm as Clay stared past his face at the view beyond. "It's not okay for Chuck to say stuff like that about you or Jax Clay. I need you to understand that. It's not okay for any adult to make comments like that. You are not a 'gimp' and just because Jax stuttered, it doesn't mean that you are any less than anyone else. You understand?" Clay looked at him now, his eyes showing the hurt that Booth knew he didn't often let come to the surface, he'd already been through more in his young life than most people experienced in their whole lives.

He smiled at Booth and said, "I know that Tony, I'm okay, you get used to it."

"You shouldn't get used to something like that Clay, no one should. I want you to know that you are a great kid and you have a lot to offer the world, don't let some narrow minded idiot take that away from you okay?"

Clay nodded and patted Tony on the shoulder with the hand not holding Scoot's reins, "Okay Tony, I won't."

Tony stood up and put his hand on Clay's shoulder, "What do you say we head back to the motel and we'll grab something to eat?"

"I think that's a great idea, its tuna casserole tonight. Gramma says it's good for me, I think it tastes like paste." He made a face that made Tony smile; Parker had that same look when he was forced to eat vegetables he didn't like. "I was thinking more like pizza?"

"Alright!" Clay gave Tony a hi-five and then whistled for Leo. Tony watched Clay clamber into the saddle and he swung aboard Gunn. Already riding was becoming second nature to him. He looked at his watch and gauged that the clouds rolling in would hit he and Clay about half an hour from now. "Let's get going kid so that we don't end up getting soaked."

Clay waved his hat in the air and said, "Yeehaw!" He kicked Scoot's sides and the old pony took off as fast as he was able, Leo leading the way, his tail a banner out behind him. Tony grinned and let them get a bit of a head start before spurring Gunn on, the taller horse caught them in no time, but Tony let Clay and Scoot stay in the lead, he knew that the kid had a bit of a hero crush on him and thought that it would be alright.

The four girls rode as hard and as fast as both the terrain and their shot addled brains would allow them, passing each other on the trail and whooping and hollering like little kids. They pulled the horses to a quick stop in front of the last gate and Carrie jumped down and unlocked the gate long enough for them to get through before re-locking it and getting back on Sultan. She caught up to the other girls and they all stopped again in the parking lot, teasing and laughing while they loaded the horses up, Stefanie asked, "What is the plan now ladies? Anyone want to head into the 'horn? We've got a head start on the guys as far as drinks are concerned." She smiled and tossed the mostly empty tequila bottle into the large trash bin outside the barn.

Carrie and Danni both shrugged and said they were good with meeting up, "What about you Roxie? Wanna go?"

"I don't know, I need to shower and…"

"Well, we all need to shower Sweetie, it's a given, c'mon it's early let's go have a couple of drinks, listen to some music, maybe dance a little."

Brennan thought about it and decided she'd call Booth and see what he had planned and see if she could meet up with him after the bar, "Sure, I'll go, but I'm not closing it down tonight, I'm leaving at midnight even if Matthew McConaughey walks through the door."

Stefanie raised her eyebrows and said, "If Matt walks in I'm going to stay by his side until I'm forcibly removed, so you are welcome to leave Roxie." Laughing they all agreed they'd go home, shower and change and then would meet at the Longhorn in a couple of hours.

Roxie made sure Fury was secured and then pulled out of the lot, she dialed Booth and got his voicemail, "Hey Booth, it's me, call me as soon as you can okay?"

She headed to her house, unloaded Fury and made sure the other two were cleaned up and fed and then headed inside to shower and change. Before she went into the bathroom she made some notes about what the girls had given up, as well as the information she had about the picture in Stefanie's wallet. Dropping her clothes on the bed, she went into shower. As soon as the water came on, her phone rang.

"Bones, I got your message, call me back." Booth spoke into the phone quietly as Leo and Clay went into the barn to secure Scoot. He dismounted and put his phone back into his pocket where the buzzing of the silent ring had originally scared the crap out of him. It hadn't rung in so long; he'd forgotten that he was there to arrest a murderer. He followed the boy into the barn and put Gunn up, making sure he had plenty of oats and water to last through the night. Just as the two of them stepped outside the barn, the first bits of rain began to fall and he and Clay hustled under the overhang of the motel. "I'm going to take a shower and change, you go tell your grandma that I'm taking you for pizza…"he paused and suppressed a shudder, "Ask her if she'd like to join us, it'll be fun."

Clay looked up and said, "Okay Tony, I'll ask, I'll meet you in the office."

"Alright Clay, give me 45 minutes or so."

"Kay. C'mon Leo, let's go tell Gramma." Clay said, patting his leg as the he and the giant dog headed toward the office.

Booth hurriedly shucked his clothes and jumped into the shower, he grabbed the small bottle of Axe body wash that Angela had packed and grimaced, a guy using a bath pouf was not the manliest of things, but he had to admit, he did like the scent and it was easier than a bar of soap, less abrasive too. Wondering when he'd become such a girl, he got out of the shower and toweled off. He put on the light blue button down, the black jeans and his brown boots and grabbed his hat. Unintentionally dressing as if he was going to see Bones, rather than taking a kid and his grandma out for pizza, he grabbed his gun, wallet and phone and saw that she hadn't called him back. Giving an irritated grunt, he put the phone in his pocket and locked the door, heading to the office.

Brennan got out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her head and another around her body as she came into her bedroom to find some clothes. She pulled on a tiny pair of champagne colored briefs and a matching bra before slipping into a tight pair of tan Levi's and a soft pink camisole top. She dried her hair quickly and tucked it up in a messy, but structured mass of soft waves on top of her head. She applied a light bit of makeup and grabbed a tan, pink and dark brown checkered button down shirt and pulled it on. She grabbed her phone and saw that Booth had called back, dialing him as she walked outside, and then ran giving the rain to her truck.

"Tony."

"Hi, it's Bones." Her breasts tingled on the briefly uttered name when he answered.

She leaned back in the driver's seat and said, "Tony? So you can't talk freely?"

"Not right now, I'm on my way to dinner with Clay. What can I do for you?"

She decided to keep it short and sweet, "I'm going to the Longhorn to meet the girls, I found a few things out today, not a lot, but I thought maybe we'd compare what little bit we do have?"

"Yeah, listen I'm not sure what time I'll be done here, but if it's not too late, I can swing by there, I think that we need to do that too." He was trying to be as general and blasé as he could, given the little ears in the cab of his truck. Luckily Clay's grandma had decided she'd rather get gussied up and go play bingo then go and have pizza with Clay and Tony. Tony had sighed with relief at that announcement.

She smiled and said, "Okay, well then I'll see you then."

"Okay." He disconnected and put the phone back in his pocket.

"Who was that?" Clay asked, he had put on a new button down shirt and his church jeans, while he waited for Tony to shower he'd even put a quick shine on his boots. He would never tell anyone but just being invited to go for a ride and then to pizza with a real honest to god cowboy was about the best day he could ever imagine and he only hoped that he didn't embarrass Tony.

Coughing slightly, Tony looked over at Clay and said, "Uh, that was my friend, she uh wanted to know if I could meet her at the Longhorn after dinner."

"Oh, what's her name? Is she pretty?"

Fortunately, Booth had plenty of experience with this line of questioning having gotten it from his own son on more than one occasion, he said, "Yes, she is pretty and her name is Roxie. She works at the same vet's office that your Aunt Stefanie works at. I met her a couple of days ago at the bar."

Clay cocked his eyebrow, "A couple of days ago? And she's already calling you?" he giggled, "She must be _real_ pretty. Do you like her?"

Tony grinned at him and said, "Yeah, I like her, she's nice. You're right, she is _real_ pretty. That is all you are going to get out of me young man, what about you? Is there a pretty girl you like?" He knew that giving a short answer and then a diverting question would usually break up the train of thought in young boys.

Instantly Clay's face flushed, "No, girls are dumb." He looked out the side window; they were almost in downtown where the pizza parlor was. Booth grinned, he knew that answer too. There was a girl and if he was patient enough Clay would tell him. He said, "Okay Clay." Then turned up the radio slightly, after a few minutes of silence Clay looked over and with a red face said, "Her name is Patience. She's Travis's older sister. She's really pretty and she's nice." His voice cracked a little and he turned back to the window.

"Does she go to your school?"

"Yeah, we all go to the same school really. She helps out in my PT class as a teacher's aide. Travis says she's dumb, but she's always nice to me." He looked over to the side of the road, "Hey, there's the pizza place Tony."

Tony checked for traffic and then pulled in, "Alright bud, here we go." He started to help Clay get out of the truck, but just like he'd gotten in, he had a method and was able to do it quite easily. Booth got more and more protective of him each time they were together, he wondered if there was ever a way that he could introduce Parker to this remarkable young man.

*They'll get together in the next chapter*


	30. Chapter 26

BOAB CH26

After dinner Booth and Clay headed back to the hotel, Clay had regaled him with tales of their small town and some of Leos' antics, as well as told him a little more about his brother Jax. Booth felt like this young man had been dealt a really raw hand, but was incredibly proud to know him and knew that he would grow up into a real solid man. They told jokes on the way home, it was after dark and the rain had been off and on most of the evening. Pulling into the parking lot, Booth dropped Clay off at the office and waved goodbye while waiting to make sure he made it inside alright. Booth looked at the time, and although he had time to go to the bar, he decided that he'd just pop open a beer and enter the information that he'd gleaned into his case notes, so that when and if he and Brennan ever got together to discuss the case he'd be prepared. He toed his boots off and sat the hat down on the table after he was done at his laptop. The last call he had received was from Parker, so he took a moment to call Rebecca to talk to his son. Knowing about the time difference, he wasn't surprised when he got through that Parker was asleep. He asked Rebecca to tell him that he was thinking of him, he loved him and hopefully he'd be home in the next couple of weeks. He also told her that he'd take the time to call Parker in the next day or so around dinner time. Hanging up from Rebecca he settled on top of the bed covers and channel surfed for a few minutes. When he determined that there was absolutely nothing on that he was interested in, he decided he'd read a bit.

He desperately wanted to go to the Longhorn, not to hang out with the cowboys, instead to be with her. Unfortunately, what he knew and what he wanted weren't always the same thing. He picked up Brennan's latest novel and attempted to dive back into the mystery and intrigue. After spending an hour forcing himself to read the story diligently he sighed and slapped his hat on his head, pulled his boots on and grabbed his wallet and phone. _Here we go_, he thought, _I'm going to go to the bar to see Bones. _

Meanwhile already at the bar…

"So, you think you're ready Roxie?" Jesse said pointing to the mechanical bull still lazily twirling around after the last rider had been unceremoniously chucked off. She looked around at the girls at the table; they'd continued to drink tequila and were all quite lit by now. Combined with the pounding music that the DJ was serving up and the heat of the room, Roxie was really past 'quite lit' and was well on her way to face plant drunk. She grinned up at Jesse, downed her shot and said, "Hell yeah baby, let's give it a ride!"

He laughed and pulled her chair out from under the table they were camped at, and putting his arm on the small of her back to steady her, he escorted her to the bull. "Okay, when I get up there, I'll help you up."

"Why do I have to ride with you? I can do it!" She said indignantly.

"Trust me Roxie; you'll enjoy the ride more with a partner." Jesse wasn't ashamed of flirting with her so unabashed, he'd asked around and aside from some cursory interest by the new guy Tony, who wasn't there so his loss, she was free and clear in his opinion. He mounted the bull and pulled her up in front of him settling the curve of her ass against his crotch, he smiled at Tug who was running the controls, Tug smiled back and winked. "Okay Roxie," He whispered, his lips grazing her ear, "Put your left hand here under this strap, good, yeah like that, and then put your right hand in the air. When the bull starts to pitch forward, roll your hips," He ground against her slightly, "Like this, when it pitches backwards, lift your ass a bit and roll forward, use your arm as a ballast okay?"

She leaned back and purred, "Okay Jesse, let's get it on."

Needing no more invitation than that, Jesse wrapped his free hand around her slim waist and pulled her in tighter as Tug got the bull up and bucking. Brennan was a natural, she knew when to roll her hips forward and back and was staying on the bull quite well, and Jesse for his part was enjoying her ass rubbing up against his crotch with every pitch and yaw of the machine. He used the forward momentum of the bull to stroke under her breast and along her flat stomach. The cowboys and girls were all cheering the two of them on with each spin and buck. No one saw Booth come in the bar and head over to the long bar to get a beer. He grabbed the longneck and wandered around, not seeing anyone he recognized until he headed into the back to where there was a large crowd gathered around the mechanical bull. He walked over to Carrie and leaned down, "What are we watching?" She turned quickly and laughed, "Oh, you scared the crap out of me Tony, we're watching _that._" She pointed towards the bull where Roxie and Jesse were burning up the back of the bull. It was spinning quicker but not so quick that Booth couldn't help but see where Jesse's hands were and where Brennan's ass was currently parked. He felt his face turn red and he clenched his free hand in anger.

The DJ made an announcement, "Alright alright girls and guys, it's time for the ladies to show us all those hot badonkadonks, come on now, let's have all the ladies up on the stage…"He turned the mic off and let a pounding bass rhythm bounce around the bar as the girls all gathered on stage. "Tug, shut that damn thing off!" Danni said, "Come on girls let's go up on stage." She gestured to Stefanie and Carrie and yelled at Roxie, "Roxie! Get off that bull and let's go!" Reluctantly Jesse let Roxie slide off and join her girls, she laughed and thanked him for the great ride, completely oblivious, and she walked right past Booth who was trying desperately not to punch a hole through the wall. The four girls danced through the crowd and mounted the stage with the rest of the girls in the bar and when they got up there Roxie said, "I don't know what to do; is this a dance?"

Stefanie leaned over and put her hands on her hips from behind, "Follow my lead sister, you'll do just fine!"

"Alright ladies, let's kick the tires and light some fires, here we go!" The DJ turned the song on and as soon as the first chords were out, the ladies on the stage all let out squeals and got into a three lines on the stage.

_Turn it up some alright boys, this is her favorite song you know that right?  
So, if we play it good and loud she might get up and dance again ooh, she put her beer down here she comes here she comes left left left right left whoo!_

As the first lines of the song came on, Stefanie dipped her hips and at the same time dipped Roxie's to show her how to do the dance. She caught on quickly and by the time Trace Adkins' deep bass voice launched into the song, she was doing a pretty good job.

_Hustlers shootin' eightball throwin' darts at the wall feelin' damn near 10 ft. tall  
Here she comes, Lord help us all ol' T.W.'s girlfriend done slapped him outta his chair  
Poor ole boy, it ain't his fault it's so hard not to stare at that honkytonk badonkadonk  
Keepin' perfect rhythm make ya wanna swing along got it goin' on like Donkey Kong  
And whoo-wee shut my mouth, slap your grandma there outta be a law  
Get the Sheriff on the phone Lord have mercy, how's she even get them britches on that honkytonk badonkadonk…_

Danni, Carrie, Stefanie and Roxie were at the front left of the stage and were working the crowd, both the cowboys that they were either dating, trying to date or related to as well as the rest of the room. Booth had settled down into a chair, it was the perfect position to not get up and kick the crap out of the first guy who looked at her sideways. He decided that he was just going to ride this storm out, no matter how badly his gut was twisted in pain. The ladies on the stage finished the song and the DJ turned back to the crowd, looking over the assembled cowboys he mimed wiping his brow and said "Whoo…ladies, that was hotter than hot, come on men give it up! Who thought that was hot?" The cowboys in the bar let out a raucous yell as the girls all started to make their way off the stage, "Hold on girls, hold on, don't leave yet, we've got another dance in mind, do you all remember Sadie Hawkins?"

Some of the girls cheered or answered him and he raised his eyebrow and tapped the mic, "Is this on? I said how many of you ladies remember Sadie Hawkins?" This time all the girls, including Roxie yelled and cheered, "Alright, what we're gonna do is have us a little Sadie Hawkins dance…with a twist!"He leered suggestively to the girls behind him and then pointed out over the crowd and said, "Take a good look at all those cowboys out there, what I want you to do, is go to WHATEVER cowboy you want, whether he's yours or not, married, single it don't mean a thang sisters! Just take the cowboy you want and pull his monkey butt out onto the floor and then get ready to tear it up. Now, no one can use this as an excuse to start a fight, it's all fun and games and everyone gets to go home with the right cowboy or cowgirl, so don't get all uppity!" The crowd laughed and he said, "You've got 2 minutes to find that cowboy ladies, ready…set…go!" The girls dispersed quickly, each of them grabbing a cowboy, Carrie grabbed Curtis, Stefanie grabbed Dirk, Danni grabbed Jake and just as Roxie was about to sidle up to Tony, who she'd seen as she climbed off the stage, Lilah took his hand, "Come on Cowboy," She purred, dragging him out to the floor. Roxie stood there perplexed wondering what to do now when she caught Jesse out of the corner of her eye, she walked over to him and said, "Wanna dance?" Jesse needed no further invitation; he smirked at the guys left at the table, downed his beer and put a little extra swagger in his step as he followed her meekly to the floor. The DJ stood back on the stage and shouted into the mike, "Here we go, let's turn it up and turn 'em loose!"

_As the midnight moon, was drifting through the lazy sway of the trees,  
I saw the look in your eye, looking into the night not seeing what you wanted to see  
Darling don't say a word, I've already heard, what your body is saying to mine,  
You've got a fast move, you got a slow groove, on your mind…_

The slow music started and couples everywhere recognized the smoky, sensual voice of Conway Twitty, pulling Booth close, Lilah molded herself to his strong, muscular body and said, "Loosen up Cowboy, whoever it is that's got you wound so tight isn't worth it, just lean into mama and we'll get this thing started right." Booth didn't know what to do, he didn't want to cause a scene, but he also didn't want to be making love on the dance floor with someone else's wife either. Deciding to fight fire with fire, he leaned in close and whispered in her ear, "You get the dance Lilah, but after that I'm letting your husband take you home, so don't get too cozy." She looked up into his eyes and saw that no amount of flirting on her part was going to break through that wall, but she recovered quickly, "Alright baby, just a dance, whatever you say."

Jesse and Roxie wrapped up closer than when they were on the bull if that was possible, her breasts were pressed up against his rock hard chest and she was enjoying the feel of his biceps under her hand as they swayed suggestively to the lyrics.

_You want a man with a slow hand, you want a lover with an easy touch you want somebody_ _who will spend some time not come and go in a heated rush baby, believe me, I understand, when it comes to love you want a slow hand…_

The couples all dipped and ground around the dance floor, enjoying the incredibly sexy lyrics and more than half of them were practically having sex on the dance floor. Booth watched Roxie and Jesse the entire time, and he could feel his blood pounding with each dip and with each slow motion grind, in time Jesse and Roxie were barely doing more than swaying in place and Booth was never gladder to hear the end of a song in his life. Almost before the last notes of the song died on the air, he dropped Lilah's hand and stalked across the dance floor. He grabbed Roxie's arm, a little tighter than he intended and said in a controlled voice, "Come on Roxie, I want to talk to you." Jesse let her arms go and turned to Tony, "Whoa man, what's your deal? She's a little busy right now." He tried to maneuver so she was back by his side. Tony pulled her slightly behind him and leaned right into Jesse, his voice was tempered steel, "Do not fuck with me Jesse, you will not win."


	31. Chapter 27

BOAB CH27

"Hey Tony, settle down man, it's not like she's yours or anything, just chill." Jesse said as he stepped slightly into Booth. "Why don't we ask Roxie who she'd rather be with, because it looks like she may prefer a _real _cowboy." He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. The rest of the guys that Booth worked with had gathered around the three of them in a circle and the girls were also trying to see what was going on. Booth took in the scene and realized if he didn't end this and soon he could jeopardize the entire case. "Jesse, I'm not playing games with you man, Roxie and I are gonna walk out of here and you're going to stand there and let us leave, if you don't you're going to be picking your teeth out of the sawdust on the floor. Your choice." Booth's voice was low and menacing; the rest of the spectators could see that he meant it even if Jesse couldn't. Realizing that Tony had the ability to put Jesse onto a serious course of hurt, Tug reached over and grabbed Jesse's arm and said, "Come on Jess, let her go. Let those two figure out what they've got to man, Tony's one of us, you can't bogart someone else's girl."

"Excuse me." Roxie slurred slightly, "I don't belong to anyone, and last time I checked I was a free spy."

"_Agent_ Roxie. Free agent." Booth automatically corrected her.

"Yes, a free agent." She agreed.

Snickering slightly Carrie and Danni were watching the two of the guys like fans at Wimbledon, but it was Stefanie that came through, "Roxie, Tony go outside and talk, we'll take care of Jesse in here, we'll all be friends again in the morning. Jesse, knock it off." Jesse looked over at her, standing straight and tall, her arms crossed over her chest and caught the look in her eye. He rolled his eyes and said, "Alright man, she's all yours, I'm sure I won't go home alone anyway."

He turned and grabbed his beer off the table, "Anyone up for pool?" The crowd drifted away and Booth turned and immediately led Bones outside, the rain that had been piddling around all afternoon had turned on full downpour and they were instantly soaked. Standing outside the bar, the neon light reflecting off the pools of water in the parking lot made watery designs on all the trucks. Booth took Brennan's hand and walked around to the side of the building, pushing her up against it with his hands on either side of her head he leaned in and said in a tight voice, "What the hell are you doing Bones? You don't know that guy at all, and you're practically screwing him in there in front of everyone. I know Roxie is a 'looser' persona that you adopt, but there's a difference in pretending and losing yourself in a role."

Bones stared at the anguish and anger on his face, his eyes were dark and flashing and the muscle in his jaw was ticking as he finished speaking to her. She's seen Booth at his best and his worst, she'd seen him sad and hurt and angry, but this look was a combination that she'd never seen, and she was a little taken aback by it. "I'm sorry Booth, I was trying to assimilate with the girls, so that maybe I could get a little bit more history, I think there is something there."

"Don't bullshit me Bones. I know you, and I know what you were doing tonight had nothing to do with 'assimilation', you were presenting a whole 'nother emotion." He growled, the rain had molded her shirt to every single curve and he found that the longer he held her in this position, the more aroused he was becoming. Which infuriated him because he knew as soon as the rain sobered her up a little she was going to put on the brakes, they both knew the barn was a mistake, but for him it was a mistake he was willing to make over and over again until he got it right.

Brennan saw his eyes change from angry and truth be told hurt and begin to fill with another emotion altogether. She saw the rain run down his neck and disappear under the collar of his shirt, which was unbuttoned past the usual one or two buttons and she ached to reach out and feel that cotton shirt molded to his upper body. She flicked her tongue out to moisten her bottom lip and he watched it like a hawk.

"I'm not 'bullshitting' you Booth. However, I can see where you would think that I was being derelict in my rationale; I should have been responsible enough to not get as inebriated as I am." Her voice lowered as she finished speaking, she was staring at his firm lips and wondered if he would believe she was going to kiss him due to the amount of the alcohol in her system, rather than the fact that she was incredibly horny and hot for him. Even if Jesse had started the fire, Booth was the accelerant she craved.

Booth heard the words coming out of her mouth as she talked, however he couldn't have told a judge what they were, instead he was watching her lips and the brief view of her little pink tongue had pushed all the blood in his body into his dick. Pressed against the zipper of his jeans, he felt like someone had shoved a red hot baseball bat in his pants. Knowing that it was the worst kind of wrong, but not caring in the slightest, Booth leaned in, dipping his arms and pressed her up against the wall. He crushed her mouth with his, sliding his tongue in and feeling the sparks when his met hers. He expected her to kiss back initially and then push him away, what he didn't expect was the low moan to escape from the back of her throat and to feel her grab his collar and pull him in even tighter. Booth dipped and tasted her mouth, their mouths parted briefly and she barely nipped his lower lip before sucking it into her mouth. He allowed her to control the kiss while he concentrated on spanning her waist with his large hands. He pushed the wet shirt up and rested his warm palms on her flat stomach; she flinched initially at the contact and then relaxed as he grazed the bottom of her breasts with his thumbs.

Brennan moaned again and that spurred Booth into a frenzy, throwing what little bit of restraint he'd had out, he moved his hands up roughly, feeling the wet fabric tear as buttons flew everywhere, he cupped her breasts and rasped his thumbs over her tight nipples. He kneaded her breasts almost painfully causing her to gasp aloud as she ran her hands up his chest as well. Knowing that he was being much rougher with her than he intended, but unable to stop he wasn't surprised to feel her nails pressing against his pecs. They continued to torment and tease each other, he was pressed up against her as tight as he could get, and she felt his arousal against her leg. She pushed her leg between his and he relinquished one of her breasts as he reached behind her and lifted her up against the fork of his crotch, she wrapped a leg around his waist and reclaimed his mouth, one hand on the back of his neck, the other tracing his muscular chest. The two of them were completely oblivious to their surroundings, lost in the taste and texture of each other when they were interrupted by a flashlight shining right on them and a slow drawl saying, "Excuse me? Folks?"

Tearing his mouth from hers, Booth looked sideways, seeing the man holding the flashlight was dressed in a brown state trooper uniform and hiding a smile behind an overly large mustache. "Y'all are gonna have to take this interlude elsewhere, I can't have you indulging in this behavior outside the bar, understand?"

Brennan slowly slid down Booth's body and ducked her head into his shoulder, Booth pushed is cowboy hat up and stood back, protecting Brennan and said as best he could without panting, "Uh, yes sir, we'll be going now."

The trooper smiled and nodded, "Have a nice night now." He said over his shoulder as he walked around the side of the building back to his car. Booth watched him until he was out of view and then turned back to Brennan, she was gazing up at him, her blue eyes still deep with desire and her gaze clear, she moistened her lips again and he fought every urge to dip his mouth to capture that tongue again. "Bones?"

She took a deep breath and answered, "Booth?"

"I have to know, are we going to finish this?" He tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear and stroked the rain off of her cheek. She was taking her time answering, her body was telling her _hell yes, finish this_! However, her mind was screaming at her that this was _BOOTH_ and no good could come of this, the first time she tricked herself into believing it was Tony and Roxie, two strangers, but this time, she knew as well as he did, there was no going back this was going to be Bones and Booth. Blinking and swallowing hard she looked at his chest and then slowly raised her eyes to his; she hesitated slightly and then said, "I want to."

Booth pulled her into his embrace and held her tightly, he whispered into her neck, "Is that Roxie talking?" He held his breath, dreading the answer. He was so hard and hot right now that his dick didn't give a rat's ass who it was, but his heart had to know, was she playing a game or was it going to be Bones this time. Almost too quietly to hear she answered him. Almost.


	32. Chapter 28

BOAB CH28

He heard her answer and experienced a brief flare of surprise and relief mixed with a little bit of trepidation. He rested his forehead on hers and held her gaze with his own and said quietly, "Are you sure Bones? Is that what you really want?"

"I'm sure Booth. I know that the amount of alcohol I've consumed may lead you to believe that my judgment has been impaired, but I'm able to separate the unsaturated side of my brain from that part which has been compromised by the tequila."

Sighing, he closed his eyes and said, "You know there is no going back from this right? This isn't something either one of us are going to be able to walk away from and I have to know that drunk or not, you know what you are saying." She watched his mouth form the words and snaked her tongue out again to moisten her lip, when the last syllable escaped his mouth she leaned into him and captured his mouth with hers. Booth groaned at the sweetness of her lips and the dexterity of her tongue and pressed her even closer. Breaking apart, breathing raggedly he smiled sardonically and said, "Your place or mine?"

She grinned slightly and took his hand in hers as they both turned to walk back to the parking lot. Booth was feeling both the earlier ride in his inner thighs and having a dick hard enough to cut glass with wasn't making his gait any smoother as he walked along side her. She kept bumping into him slightly, the alcohol obviously decreasing her motor skills, although it had done nothing to dampen her libido. She felt lava hot desire pooled in her panties and wanted nothing more than to feel his hands, fingers, mouth everything on her body. She angled to her truck, letting his fingers go and he lunged and grabbed her hand, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to my truck Booth, you can follow me to my place and park behind the barn, I think that would be better than going to the hotel, don't you?"

"I'm not letting you drive Bones, you're half blotto right now and I'm still a cop for crying out loud."

She stopped and cocked her head at him quizzically, "How do you intend to get both trucks where they need to be then Booth? Oh, I know, let's tow yours?" She clapped her hands together and he held one hand up, "No way, we're not towing anything. I will drive your truck back to your house and call Agent One or Two to pick it up from here and take it to the hotel. It'll look better if my truck stays here overnight rather than yours anyway." She nodded and agreed, "That does make more sense than what I had planned, okay." She handed him the keys and then turned on her heel and headed to her truck. He tossed the keys in the air and caught them, taking his head off, he wiped the rain from his brow and looked up, the still pounding rainfall pelting his face and he said out loud, "What the hell are you doing Booth?" He then put the wet hat back on his wet head and followed the good doctor to her truck. She waited patiently for him to unlock the doors and then the two of them climbed inside. Shutting the door, he started up the truck and the dash lit up like an airplane cockpit. He was mesmerized briefly by all the bells and whistles that her truck was equipped with. She was busy buckling her seatbelt, her blouse still hanging open, breasts wet and very visible. Booth took his eyes off the electronic gadgetry and just stared. She looked over and gave a coy smile, "What are you looking at?"

Booth licked his bottom lip and caught her gaze with his, his eyes were darkening quickly, and "I'm looking at you Bones, at all of you." She winked and adjusted in her seat, allowing the shirt to fall open even more. "Well Agent Booth, if you will put the vehicle in drive, you may get to see even more."

Needing no more encouragement than that, he put the truck in drive and pulled out of the lot, he took his phone out and began to dial his local agents when he caught movement out of the corner of his eye that she was unbuckling her seatbelt. While the phone rang he said, "Bones, what are you doing? Do you need me to pull over?" She shook her head no, and moved over to the center seat and buckled herself back up, "I just wanted to sit here instead," She said, "It's a 15 mile drive back to my house you know." Booth nodded, the agent had answered the phone, he began to tell him that he needed the truck taken to the hotel by the morning when he felt her hand on his crotch. He yelped slightly and the agent asked what happened. His voice tight and his eyes crossed as she massaged his cock through the rough jeans, he said, "Not…Nothing. I stepped on something and it moved. No, I'm fine…uhhh…Dr. Brennan drank too much and I'm taking her home…no, I think I'll be fine; she has a couch…NO! That's okay, she's going to be out for a while, and we've slept together before." He was trying desperately not to moan out loud when he realized what he'd said and how it would have sounded, "I mean, we haven't _slept together_ slept together, but we've spent the night together…oh hell, you know what I mean. Keep laughing Agent. I want that truck there by morning." He flipped the phone closed and just let it fall. Bones chuckled softly as he let the pent up moan escape, "Ahh Bones…what are you trying to do?"

"I'm fairly certain I'm succeeding Booth." He slid down in his seat slightly and she adjusted the angle of her hand, from the top of the bulge she eased her hand down squeezing gently all the way down to his balls and then back up again. Booth decided that two could play at that game; he took his right hand off the wheel and slid it up her inner thigh. He could feel the heat emanating from the juncture of her thighs. He squeezed her inner thigh gently and then deftly moved his hand to the button fly of her jeans and undid the top button. She sucked in her stomach slightly as he popped the next two buttons open from the inside of her pants. He lightly traced the top of her lacy panties with his finger and thumb and then she gasped aloud as he slid his hand, palm up into her panties. He teased the wet curls with his forefinger and then slowly slid his finger inside her. She moaned aloud as he teased her inner flesh with his strong, dexterous finger. She was silky smooth and he felt himself harden even more.

While he was busy exploring her silken depths with one finger and then two, alternating pressure on her clit and stroking her curls with his thumb, she was unzipping his pants with her left hand and when she realized his hardness combined with the tightness of his pants would not allow her hand full access to the steel velvet rod between his legs, she popped the button on his jeans and then slid her hand fully inside his boxers. His pre cum had already made him slick and she wasted no time stroking him with full, strong strokes as far as her hand was able to go within the confines of his pants. He hissed a deep breath through his gritted teeth and moaned aloud. Urging the horses under the hood of the big truck to get up and go, he sighed internally when he saw the turn off to her ranch up ahead. Hoping like hell they could go straight to the house without having to stop in the barn or anything he said carefully, "Please tell me those damn horses are fine for the night?"

She was fighting her own inability to breathe and said slightly panting, "Yes, they're fine. Are we there yet?" He looked down and saw she had her eyes closed; he chuckled slightly and said, "We're here." Her eyes flew open and she smiled, "Good, because you were either going to have to finish that, or we were pulling over."

Booth laughed and the two of them carefully disentangled themselves as he parked the truck. Exiting, he pulled her across the seat and held her in his arms, kissing her deeply he held her ass in his hand and had her pressed against the side of the truck, she knocked his hat off as her hands raised to run through his hair. Wrath screamed from the barn and Booth groaned against her neck, "Not this time buddy, not this time."

Panting she ground her hips slightly, pressing up against his hard dick, "Booth what are you waiting for?" He tightened his grip on her and still holding her against his body, turned to the house and said against her mouth, "Nothing Bones, nothing."

He quickly climbed the short steps to the porch and used her keys to unlock the door, closing it and locking it while he continued to kiss her he continued on to her room, her legs still wrapped around his waist. He pushed open her door and sat her down, she stepped back, the bed bumping up against the back of her legs, she looked up shyly, unsure all of a sudden, he caught the look and said, "Are you still sure Bones?" She bit her bottom lip, seeming to make a decision and then reached up and slid the remains of her wet shirt off, she pushed out of her pants and then sat down to pull them along with her boots off. He watched all of this in fascination, he'd seen her in a bra and panties before, but for some reason, this time was different. This time it was Brennan, not Roxie and they weren't in a barn full of horses and hay. He slid his own shirt off, and attended to his own pants and boots, neither of them took their eyes off of each other, not even when she sat down and slid up on the bed, he followed her and lay beside her.

He reached under her bra to cup her breast and she gasped when he squeezed a hard nipple, feeling fires that raised goosebumps on her exposed flesh, the room was cool because of the late rain and his hand contrasted with the temperature of the room. He sensed her powerful reaction and felt a corresponding increase of his own heat; he felt his cock surge and pulse as he felt her smooth warm tongue reaching inside his mouth to tease his. He suckled her tongue gently and then felt an overwhelming desire to taste the warm salt and feel the moist folds between her legs, but he did not want to stop kissing her. He had unclasped her bra and had both of her breasts in his hands, kneading and rubbing his hands over her sensitive nipples. He lowered his head and took first one and then the other into his mouth, sucking hard and feeling her push against him and hearing her groan with pleasure. He trailed his tongue down between her breasts, down her taut stomach, his hands leading the way caressing her stomach and her hips to the inside of her thighs. He moved down between her legs and the warmth of his tongue, combined with the heat from her body as he tasted her shot darts of excitement through her entire body. She was so sensitive to his mouth and his touch, she writhed under him in ecstasy, trying to touch all of him at once, and freeing his hard cock from his boxers in one swift move he never stopped his tongue play on her silken folds. He kissed the inside of her thigh and then ran his tongue up and watched the chill bumps appear where the cooler air of the room met her heated flesh.

She arched up to him and with both hands he held her folds apart admiring the pink folds of her most intimate place, unable to restrain himself; he dipped his head again and coated his tongue, savoring the taste of her. She felt the cool air of the room and the heat of his mouth and moaned and quivered in response. With stronger pressure and the familiarity of his mouth and hands stimulating her to respond she lost all sense of where she was. The only thing that she was aware of was his mouth sucking, his tongue licking and prodding her inner core, his knowing fingers reaching inside and then only the rising tide of her desire as it began to crest and wash over her. Knowing that she couldn't wait any longer, she sat up slightly, and pulled his head up to hers, her taste mingling in their mouths as she kissed him, she took him in her hand and guided him to her wet entrance. She pushed up as he plunged in.

He sunk inside her deeply, closing his eyes as he felt her moist warm walls pull him deeper and enveloping him like a glove. He waited a second and then pulled back, feeling the caress of her deep tunnel and pushed in again deeper than before. He plunged in and withdrew each stroke bringing him closer the pressure inside his body increasing with each stroke, he felt her rise to him and heard her moan and that was all he could take. Exploding inside her, he felt her body milk each wave of pleasure from him.

He collapsed against her slightly, still deep inside her, his dick twitching with each clench of her body as she rode the wave of her own release. He sat up slightly, holding most of his wait on his arms; he watched her face as she experienced the orgasm. He waited patiently for her to open her crystal clear eyes; he wanted to see what emotion would be the first to rise to the surface. Once she did open her eyes she met his and smiled softly, "That was incredible Booth." She sighed and stretched, which caused a final burst of sensation to travel through his core. He carefully slid out of her and pulled her in close to him, turning slightly on to his side. He brushed his lips gently over her sweat and rain dampened brow and tasted the saltiness of her skin and smelled the fresh scent of her shampoo, combined with the all too familiar mountain air he was rapidly becoming accustomed to.

She sighed and cuddled into his warm embrace. He reached over and pulled the comforter over from the side, partially covering her. He was oblivious to the cold air in the room, instead was feeling himself falling further and further in love with her. Warring against his better judgment he kissed her softly again and said quietly, "Do you regret it Bones?"

Her eyes had been slowly closing, the pull of sleep combined with sexual satisfaction and copious amounts of alcohol combining to make her drowsy, but at his deep, low rumbled question her eyes flew open, she met his gaze full on and said carefully, "I didn't regret it at all Booth, did you?"

He smiled and kissed her mouth, "No Bones, I've never regretted anything with you." She smiled sleepily and was soon snoring softly, he resigned himself to losing feeling in his arm and freezing his naked ass off for the time being and kissed her temple again, "Sleep well Bones, sleep well."


	33. Chapter 29

BOAB CH29 * Full on smut filled filler chapter with no bearing on the case whatsoever*

Booth felt the bed dip slightly as she moved out of it. His arm was numb and he'd stopped feeling his ass hours before. Taking advantage of her leaving the bed he slid under the covers and cracked one eye, she walked unsteadily and completely nude towards the bathroom. He couldn't help but respond to her naked body, and knowing that he'd had his hands all over it and would again wasn't helping his current situation. He closed his eyes and entered that 'ranger sleep mode' that he'd perfected while in the army. Eyes closed, partially asleep but conscious of everything around him.

For her part, Brennan used the bathroom and pulled on a pair of boy shorts that she'd left drying on the shower rod. She pulled on a flannel from the back of the door and grabbed a pair of jeans as she tip toed quietly through the bedroom. She glanced at the glowing blue numbers on the alarm clock and saw that they'd only been asleep for a few hours. She grabbed a flashlight from the kitchen and slid into her boots by the back door. Entering the mud room, she grabbed her FBI hoody that Booth had left at her apartment one time and exited the house.

Booth heard all of her movements and figured that she had a reason to be so stealthy and quiet. Cursing under his breath, he hoped that she wasn't running. She had said there was no regret and for his part he knew there was no regret. Making love to her, both times had been the pinnacle of his desire for years and he'd do whatever was necessary to make her see that they were destined to be together. Whether she believed in fate or not, he did and belief was a powerful motivator. He sighed and climbed out of the bed himself, wearily pulling on his boxers, jeans and boots he also grabbed a flannel that had been lying haphazardly on a chair and followed her outside.

As he didn't take a flashlight he had only the waning light from the moon to guide him to the barn where he assumed she would have gone. He wasn't mistaken; she was in the barn alright. In fact, she was standing in Wrath's stall, his big head close to hers as she rubbed his ears and down his forehead to his nose. He had his mouth buried in her hand where she'd offered him a handful of oats. Booth crept inside the barn and watched all of this silently. She was talking under her breath to the big horse and for once he seemed to be completely at her mercy. Taking a handful of his mane, she led him outside his stall to the big paddock. Instead of bolting like he normally did he stood docile at her side, simply snorting and tossing his head. Booth moved a little closer, he was reluctant to break the spell the two were involved in, but felt that it was a good time to intercede; he didn't want to have to rush her to a hospital if the spirited horse decided that he was done being whispered to. Suddenly, before he could say anything, she grabbed a larger hunk of mane and through herself on his back. Wrath took off across the pasture, Brennan clinging to him like a monkey.

Booth jumped towards the stall and flung himself over the short stall door and out into the paddock. He was starting to run towards the frenzied horse when he realized that he wasn't out of control, instead he was actually responding to Brennan. She soon had him slowed down into a trot and then he was calmly walking back towards the barn. She sat up and smiled, until she saw Booth. She stopped Wrath short and just looked at him. Almost completely shrouded in the dark he was a silhouette. Their sexual escapades came back to her in a rush. She'd known that she'd fallen asleep in his arms, for the first time in a long time she felt secure. She hadn't wanted to leave the warmth or strength of his arms, the hard muscular chest she was pulled against, but something told her that Wrath was ready to be loved too. She had to give it a shot.

Realizing that they had a lot of things to discuss with their new development, but wishing that it could be later rather than now, she headed back towards the barn and Booth. Wrath walked right up to the unarmed FBI agent and looking down at him with a gleam in his large black eye, he tossed his head and then snorted, almost saying, _don't hurt her he who walks upright, she is under my protection now_. Booth acknowledged the horse and his unspoken challenge with a pat on the neck. To Brennan he held out his hand and said, "Bones, we need to talk, but not tonight. Come back to bed. Please?"

She looked down at him, his ruggedly handsome face, and deep dark eyes full of concern and even she could see, love. She nodded and slid off of Wrath's bareback, still holding a hunk of mane, she led him back into his stall. She locked him in and patted Fury and Charcoal who had both dipped sleepy heads over the stall divider. She and Booth left the barn by flashlight and walked hand in hand back to the barn. "What made you think it was a good idea to ride him? And at three in the morning?" He asked with a slight smile.

She grinned back, "I don't know, it just seemed like a lot of rules have been broken and lines have been crossed tonight…I just thought that he might be receptive to me now." She paused and continued, "I've never ridden anything like him before Booth, it was…exhilarating." She entered the house ahead of him, and although he heard what she said, he wasn't really listening. She'd grabbed the hoody and slipped it off, then stood on one foot than the other to remove her boots. All the while he watched and felt his dick harden. Stepping into her back and pulling her close to his chest, he ground the bulge in his pants against her ass and she almost purred. He slid his hands around her, under the flannel to her braless chest. Cupping her breasts in his hands, he dipped his mouth to her neck and suckled gently. Soothing the small red raspberry that appeared with his tongue, he nipped her and then slid the too large flannel off of her in one move. Still standing behind her, one arm pinning her to his tall, muscular frame he gently caressed one breast and then the other, trailing kisses across her collar bone and shoulders. She had her arms over her head, her fingers entwined in his hair. "Bones," He breathed against her shoulder, pinching a hardened nipple between his finger and thumb, "Bones, let's go back to bed."

She turned in his arms and pressed herself against his chest, pulling his head down and kissing him hard on the mouth. She stepped back just enough to put her hands under his own shirt and then worked down to the snap and zipper of his jeans. Booth kissed her like he'd never kissed her before, her sweet taste mingling in his mouth, his tongue tracing the inside of her mouth and warring with hers. He paused long enough to take the flannel off and over his head and then resumed kissing her. All the while acutely aware of where her hands were in relation to his body, he inhaled sharply and pulled back to look her in the eyes when she pulled the zipper down excruciatingly slow. His eyes were black with desire and she smiled looking into them and knowing that that look was all because of hers. Never breaking eye contact with him, she slid down to her knees in front of him.

He realized what she was doing and said in a choked voice, "Bones, you don't have to d-d-do thaaaat…" he swallowed the rest of his protest when she quickly freed him from his boxers and took him in her mouth. She took as much of him as she could and slowly drew her mouth all the way off of him, circling his head with her tongue. She stroked her hand down his shaft and squeezed gently at the base, and then followed her hand with her mouth. Booth put one hand on the wall in the mudroom and steadied himself. He hadn't felt like this since his very first blow job in high school. She was taking him deeper and deeper with each bob of her head and he felt like he was going to explode, gritting his teeth and staring at the ceiling to try and delay his impending release he was completely shocked when her mouth left his dick altogether and she stood up, "Ready for bed Booth?" She whispered and then turned and walked towards her bedroom.

Booth swallowed deeply and then took stock of his situation. Jeans sliding off his hips, dick at full mast, heart pounding and balls tight between his legs; he shook his head ruefully and thought, _this is never going to be dull_. Not caring what it looked like, he shucked his pants right there in the mudroom, almost going ass over head when he realized too late that he'd have to remove his boots first. He pulled his jeans back up and hit his own hard cock in the process, causing him to see little stars across his vision. Sitting down on the bench in the mudroom to pull his boots off, he soon realized that what people had always said was true, little brain clicks on, big brain checks out. Not soon enough, he was finally free of the damn jeans and followed his dick like a divining rod to her room.

Bones was sitting up in the bed, the covers pulled primly up to her throat when he and his engorged member entered. She smiled playfully, "What took you so long?"

He smiled back, "I had to remember how to walk. That's not a nice thing to do to someone you know Bones, you could really hurt a guy." She smiled slightly more demurely, "I'm sure that you were able to walk without any real damage Booth, men have erect penises all the time and manage to do quite well with day to day things, in fact most males experience arousal between 10 and 20 times a day, sometimes actually having minor climaxes simply by the way they are sitting or standing." As sexy as it was when she used her big brain, he knew that this was neither the time nor the place for it and he said so, "Wow Bones, that's like the lamest sex talk I think I've ever heard, maybe you can dummy it down a bit for me?" He stood at the foot of the bed, his eyes never leaving hers, when she dropped the blanket and crawled towards the foot of the bed, slowly, her breasts swaying slightly as she crawled, she moved right up to him and took a hold of his hard dick with one hand and put her other behind his head bending it down to hers. She licked his bottom lip and said huskily, "Booth, I want this," and she squeezed him boldly, "Inside me." She finished kissing him slowly and seductively.

Booth needed no more invitation than that, he reached down behind her, cupped her ass and pulled her up; he pushed her down on the bed, and quickly covered her with his body. Without great urgency he kissed her mouth, then each of her eyes and then her throat. He moved lower and found her nipple; in no hurry he suckled and nibbled on one while he fondled and squeezed the other, then traded off as she pressed herself to him wanting more and more as the sensations grew. He felt himself swelling even harder and when she felt it against her upper thigh, she sat up abruptly and bent down to take him in her mouth again. Booth rolled over slightly to his back; she was on her side, the juncture of her own thighs close to his mouth. He lay back to enjoy the sensation her hot mouth caused to course through him as she took in as much as she could, sucking hard and then releasing and letting him slide back. She found the hard ridge on the underside of his dick and rubbed her tongue across it rapidly and the circled the smooth head with her tongue faster and faster. He groaned at the intensity of the sensation and snaked his arm out to grab her until she straddled him as he reached up to taste her.

At almost the same moment they both sighed against the most intimate parts of each other's bodies. He licked her slick folds and inserted his tongue inside her, tasting her deeper than he'd ever tasted before. He wasn't sure he'd be able to control himself when he stopped and turned her forcefully around until she was on her knees, guided himself in and felt her full, deep well. With each stroke he felt her push back against him, rocking, moving, plunging in and pulling out almost to the very tip before driving back deep inside her. Each time he slid in he felt her inner vaginal walls grip him tighter and tighter and he knew it was futile to try and resist the pull of her body on his. He increased the pressure and the thrust and when she moaned, he felt himself release.

Brennan moaned again and felt her own release follow his. They both collapsed exhausted, but deeply pleasured and he once again pulled her into his body, wrapping his strong arms around her. She brushed the wet hair from her forehead and snuggled against him. Although he was spent, there was a little stir. He groaned and said, "Bones, this is probably going to sound really bad considering how long I've wanted and waited to make love to you, but I can't do it again so please don't do that with your ass."

She laughed and he had to mentally control the urge to once again rise to the occasion, "I'm sorry Booth, you are right, we do need to sleep, I've got some information on the case as I'm sure you do, so we need to conserve energy for a little while longer." Snorting against the back of her neck he said softly, "So, there's like two modes for you huh? Incredibly demanding sexual dynamo and super crime fighter?" She took his hand in hers and in a move much more intimate than any they'd had so far, she kissed his thumb and then bit it slightly and said, "Yes, those are just two of my 'modes' Booth, perhaps if you are nice to me, I'll show you some others."

He grinned against the back of her head and said, "Pull down the covers Bones, I'm not freezing anymore tonight, we'll talk in the morning." She yawned and complied, the hot, sweaty sex combined with the exhilarating ride and the alcohol crept up and surprised her, she was well on her way to falling back to sleep when she heard and felt him say against her back, "Was that ride better than the one with Wrath?"

Bones started to answer and then smiled, she simply closed her eyes and began to drift away, leaving him saying with curiosity in his voice, "Bones? You still awake?"


	34. Chapter 30

BOAB CH30

Booth felt himself drifting towards ever more awakened consciousness one layer at a time and when he finally broke the surface, he opened his eyes slowly, allowing the dim morning light to penetrate his bleary vision. He stretched out to his full 6 foot 1 inch height and felt his back realign itself, her bed was so much more comfortable than the cardboard mattress he had at the Dew Drop. He ran his hand over to the right of the bed and wasn't surprised to find it empty. _I'm sure I'll find it empty more times than not_, he thought to himself. He wiped his eyes and sat up in the bed and looked around the room. Clothing strewn about as if a hurricane had come in, the comforter was half on the bed and half off. At some point after their second bout they'd both woken up and made out like horny teenagers for a little while before sleep once again dragged them back under her depths. He slid out of the bed and did a couple of trunk twists to get his blood pumping before walking in his full glory to the bathroom. The mirror was fogged with steam and there was a dry towel on the counter, taking the hint he stepped into the shower and turned it on full blast. Yelping at the ice cold water that came out of the showerhead he pressed himself as far against the back wall as he could without actually climbing out of the tub until the water warmed up. _She must have been done with her shower for some time for the water to be that cold_ he mused. He wondered how he missed her getting out of bed and then decided that due to the amount of sex he'd had in the past 12 hours he was surprised he was able to remember his own name. Which he said aloud quietly just to make sure he in fact _did_ remember it.

Exiting the shower he dried off and grabbed his discarded jeans. He didn't usually go commando, but he couldn't remember where his boxers ended up and he didn't think that he should start wearing her panties just yet. Grinning at himself and where his mind was, he used her deodorant and comb quickly before heading into the kitchen. Barefoot and bare-chested, the top button of his jeans undone, he subconsciously knew he was hoping for a little morning nooky before they had to start their day, he only hoped that she hadn't packed up and ran further into the hills. To his surprise, he heard her first before he saw her.

"_please leave your taste on my tongue paperweight on my back cover me like a blanket mess up my bed with me  
kick off the covers I'm waiting every word you say I think I should write down don't want to forget come daylight  
and no need to worry that's wasting time and no need to wonder" _

She had her back to the majority of the kitchen and was swaying slightly as she mixed something in a bowl in front of her. He smelled not only the rich Columbian blend she had brewing but the scent of her Sandalwood body wash and perfume as well. He listened to her singing softly to herself, and didn't recognize the song, but he caught on the lyrics quickly. Aching to taste her again, hold her close and inhale her he took a deep breath and counted to ten before entering the room. If she turned around and saw that cupid's arrow was sticking out of his forehead it was a done deal. She'd be on the first plane back to Washington and from there, there was no telling what third world hell hole she'd try to run to. Sensing him she turned around and smiled at him and he tensed until he realized the smile had reached her eyes as well, smiling back he leaned in the doorway, crossing his arms over his chest. Arm muscles bulging, he had no idea how devastatingly handsome he looked with his flat, taut stomach and bare chest, the barest dusting of dark hair trailing below the waistband of his jeans.

Bones took a deep breath and tried not to stare at this man who had been inside her body and was now currently trying to take up residence in her metaphorical heart. She indicated with a nod of her head towards the coffee pot, "There's coffee ready, I'm putting on the pancakes now; they should be ready soon. How did you sleep?" She turned back to the stove and carefully poured the creamy batter into the pan, and only tensed slightly as he came up behind her. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he nuzzled her neck and kissed her gently before he whispered against her neck, "I slept very well Bones, you?" She nervously licked her lips, this was always the hardest part of the 'morning after' she never knew how to behave. With most of the men she'd been with, she simply wanted them to leave so she could get back to whatever case or chapter she was working on. She was merely interested in satisfying her biological urges and not making a connection, however it was only him and Sully that she'd truly wanted to have around in the morning, and with him she found that she not only wanted to throw him down on the floor and ride him until they were both soaked in sweat, but she also wanted to talk to him, just…connect. She looked down and then up into his eyes. He smiled and pushed aside a bit of her bangs, leaning down he kissed her softly and then pulled back, "It's okay Bones I understand how you feel, and we'll figure it out together." She seemed to sag with relief and turned back to the pancakes.

They quickly fell into their same old routine, they discussed the information that they both had on the case, when it came to the rope she said, "I definitely think that we need to see if anyone else has a rope like that, and I also want to know more about the relationship that Steff has with Clay." She related to him what she'd overheard Stefanie say on the phone and they both mused aloud about what she could have been referring to. They also discussed Chuck and how he seemed to be deeply entwined with all the victims. Booth hesitated to tell her what he'd said about Clay and Jax but in the end told her and as he predicted she was angry and told him that Chuck had better watch himself around her, one wrong move and she may forget that she was an undercover scientist. Booth grinned behind the brim of his coffee cup. Even though they were casually discussing two grisly murders over pancakes and coffee it felt like the most normal thing in the world. The moment was broken when her phone rang from the counter.

She jumped off the stool she'd been perched on and he caught a brief glimpse of white cotton panty as her long flannel flipped up and felt himself begin to respond. She tucked a piece of hair behind her ear and answered the phone, "Hello?"

Her back to him, she lowered her voice, "No, you didn't wake me; I've been up for a while. No, I don't mind you calling me at home. I got home around midnight or so…yeah, well we argued a bit in the parking lot and then I came home." Booth wondered who was calling so early in the morning and would know about the scene at the bar last night, he could only assume it was one of the girls and started to tune out when she said, "You want me to wear something dirty?"

Booth coughed, the coffee he'd just sipped burned his tongue and down his throat. Trying not to cough too loud so the person on the phone didn't hear him, he listened intently to what she was saying. "Oh, something that I can get dirty." She giggled, "That sounds a lot better! Sure. No, I have to get the horses turned out and finish up breakfast then I'll be in…say…an hour?" She turned and reached for her coffee cup and then turned her back to him again, "No, I don't need a ride today, no…that's okay thank you I appreciate it though…okay, yeah about an hour, okay…you too." Closing her phone she took a sip of coffee and turned back to Booth.

"I have to go to work in an hour or so Booth, I can give you a ride to the hotel though."

"Who was that Bones?" He asked, trying for nonchalance and instead sounding like a jealous beau.

She swallowed the last of her coffee and put the mug in the sink and began to gather the dishes off the island, "That was Malcolm, apparently we're going out into the field this morning, so he wanted me to wear something that I'm not afraid to get messed up." Booth watched her face as she spoke and saw that she wasn't trying to hide anything as he'd originally thought, he shook his head slightly and thought to himself, _she's not Rebecca dumbass, she doesn't even know how to play games, she's just switching from play mode to work mode, you've seen it a thousand times._ He smiled and stood to help clean up, "Yeah that would be great if you could give me a ride, I appreciate it. I don't think the Agents want to come out here to pick me up." She caught the look on his face and they both grinned.

Once the dishes were done, she excused herself to go change and he waited patiently in the living room, he'd pulled his still damp shirt back on along with his boots and had even gone out and fed and watered the horses. Wrath barely acknowledged him and bolted from the barn as soon as the gate was open; Fury and Charcoal stood around him and let him rub their noses and necks before trotting sedately away to enjoy the early morning sunshine. Booth had gone back to the house and picked up stray bits of clothes from the mudroom and was just waiting when she came out of the bedroom. She was wearing a pair of jeans that had been worn to the point that they were no longer denim; instead they were as soft as cotton panties. She had on a black t-shirt that said, 'rope 'em, ride 'em and hog tie 'em' and showed a picture of a cowboy on horseback roping a calf. It had a low v-neck and tight sleeves and barely touched the waistband of her jeans, she'd pulled her hair back under a baseball cap for the local college football team and was holding a hoody in her hands. He thought she'd never looked sexier. He had to swallow a couple of times before he could push past the lump in his throat, "That's something you're comfortable getting dirty in?" He asked as she sat down to pull on her boots.

Brennan looked down and said, "What's wrong with what I have on Booth?"

"You look like you need me to take you into that bedroom and not let you out until the sun has gone down again." He said his voice husky with desire. Brennan stood up slowly and walked towards him. Putting her hand on his belt buckle she pulled him in close and leaned up to lick his neck, he inhaled sharply and she said with a teasing lilt in her voice, "Well Tony, maybe you and Roxie will have the opportunity again, for now, she needs to get to work and you," She paused to cup his crotch, "Need to get some drawers on and get to the arena as well." He gulped as her hand came in contact with him again and he leaned down and said, "Don't get to cocky Miss Roxie, this isn't over." She laughed and tugged on the brim of his hat, "I hope not Cowboy." The two of them walked to her truck and got in and when he started the truck and it purred to life he said, "Why did I get the crappy truck and you got this state of the art machine?"

She smiled and said, "The same reason you got stuck at the Dew Drop and I got my own house. You work for the government and I don't." Snorting at her he flipped the radio on and they drove down her gravel driveway, both lost in different thoughts. His of the night before and whether or not she really would be able to come to terms with them in a relationship, whereas she was thinking of how she could get more information out of Stefanie, who seemed to be the catalyst in this whole case.


	35. Chapter 31

BOAB CH31

After Booth dropped himself off at the motel, Brennan continued on to work. When she pulled into the parking lot, she grabbed her light jacket and hopped out of the truck; the sky was still slightly overcast. She looked up at the sky and thought about how vast it was, how it seemed that it was so much more important out here than back in DC. Smiling at how relaxed her thinking had been since both coming here and getting in touch with her inner Booth she made her way to the barn. Mal was in playing with Zoe and the puppies and looked up and smiled when she came in. "Good Morning Tempe, I mean Roxie." He grinned guiltily as he looked to see if the adjoining door to the office was still closed. She winked and smiled back, "Hi Mal, what's on the agenda for today?"

He stood and wiped his hands off on his jeans and stretched tall over his shoulders, her eyes following every movement. "Today we're going to the Burley farm. Roscoe Burley raises hogs and he has a sow named Hannah that thinks she is meant to roam free and be one with nature and has this nasty habit of going under the fence in the sty. This time she cut up her back pretty bad and he's worried about her. So, we're going to take a trip out to the boonies and fix her up. Then a stop at the Chase ranch so I can pick up Connor and then Travis at his house and then we're coming back." He told her as they walked into the office.

"The sow I can handle, why are you picking up the boys and why not Clay?" She asked over her shoulder as she made her way to the office coffee pot. The other three girls were already in the office, albeit not happily. They all looked like they felt, rode hard and put away wet. At the mention of Clay's name Stefanie looked up and said, "Picked up Clay for what?"

Mal said, "I'm taking Travis and Conner to the arena to work on the parade for next weekend. Stefanie, as far as I know Clay isn't in it is he?"

Stefanie relaxed and said, "Oh no, he isn't."

"Would he like to help?" Brennan asked.

Stefanie thought about it for a moment and then said, "He would most likely love it, but I don't think my mom would be thrilled having to go get him and I've got plans tonight. Besides, he's a little younger than Conner and Travis and would need someone to watch him."

Roxie shook her head slightly, "Tony will be there, he's been hanging out with him at the hotel, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Carrie took that statement as an opportunity to ask the questions that were on everybody's mind, "Speaking of _Tony_," she said, pulling her sunglasses down, "What happened to you two last night?"

"Yeah," Danni piped up, "We saw that Tony's truck was in the parking lot for a little while after he dragged you outside, but was gone, along with yours when we all left."

Roxie hesitated for a moment before she said, "We went outside and argued a bit and then I left. I don't know anything about how long his truck was out there." She hated lying, especially to people she was really starting to like, but she also knew that she could blow the whole thing by saying something wrong, Mal and Cordelia already knew who she was and it wouldn't take much for everyone else to find out too. "What about Jesse?" She asked nonchalantly looking under her lashes at the other girls.

"Jesse bounced back quite quickly." Stefanie said.

"He bitched about how he could take Tony and then Lilah's friend, what's her name? Oh, yeah, Catherine she turned on her 'charm' and Jesse followed her like a little lamb. Sorry Roxie, Jesse isn't really the one woman kind of man."

Roxie swallowed a sip of coffee and smiled behind the brim, secretly glad that he was interested in Catherine now and not her, it would make it easier to observe him, "No worries, Tony and I aren't really 'together', I mean he's hot and all and I like him, but I had to tell him that I don't need to be tied down to one cowboy right now. He got a little ticked off and stalked off, I don't know what happened after that." She put the styrofoam cup into the trash and clapped her hands together, "Ready Mal?"

He had been gathering up supplies and putting them into his travel bag while the girls talked, and looked up and smiled, "Ready Roxie, let's go."

He started through the door and then said, "Make sure if we get any walk ins you girls take care of them, any emergencies call me and I'll be back by two for my afternoon appointments, Danni-give Giles a call about the puppies for me would you? I want the ad in tomorrow's paper." he turned to go and heard Danni say from behind him, "What are we calling these ones again? Rottstiffs? Half Rott and half Mastiff? Still free?"

He grinned and said loudly as he entered the barn, "Yes, still free and Rottstiffs is much better than Masttweilers!" Snickering he and Roxie headed to the office truck and climbed in.

Carrie, Danni and Stefanie spent a couple of minutes laughing at Mals' expense over his continuing puppy mishap and then Danni made the call to the editor of the paper for him. Giles also laughed and said he'd make sure it was the number one ad in the paper the next day.

"What do you think really happened between those two?" Carrie mused as she poured another cup of coffee and blew the steam off to try and cool it off somewhat.

"Who two?" Danni asked absently.

"Roxie and Tony dummy," Carrie said sharply, "He was hot enough to light a fire with and there is no way they just 'argued a bit' and then he happily walked away. I bet there was more to it than that, I bet he took her home and that's why he wasn't there when we went out there to check on them, that's what I think." She nodded sagely at the other two.

"Well, if he took her home, why was his truck gone when we left? It was only about an hour later and it takes at least half an hour to even drive to her house, so how did he get back?" Stefanie countered.

Thinking it over as she stepped back behind the counter, Carrie said, "Well, maybe she brought him back to get it?"

Danni snorted and raised her sunglasses and looked at Carrie and said, "If you were bangin' Tony would you stop in the middle of it to go back and get his truck? I wouldn't stop if you dangled chocolate covered money in front of me if I was the one in his sights."

Laughing at that image, they all agreed that it was improbable that they stopped to come back and get his truck, so maybe it did go down the way that Roxie said it had. The girls all drifted away to various parts of the office and began their day, each one still feeling the effects of their night in one way or another.

Roxie and Mal drove for an hour passing small farms, and large stretches of woods before they came to a mostly overgrown driveway and Mal slowed to turn down it. He handed her a mask and said, "Here, you'll want to wear this. Old Man Burley has been smelling hogs for over 30 years so he doesn't smell them anymore, but in about a mile or so the smell is going to hit you hard and fast. Let me know if you want me to stop and pull over."

Brennan took the mask cautiously and thought about the last time she was on a pig farm, although the odor was strong it wasn't too unpleasant, the farm was clean and open. She wasn't sure what to expect, but Mal was right, at almost one mile from when he handed her the mask the smell hit the truck like an actual curtain of odor. She gagged and put the mask on, "That's horrible." She said her voice muffled by the mask.

He nodded and slowed down enough to pull on his own mask, "I told you. We won't be here long, Roscoe is a nice man, but I can't be here that long without wanting to take an acid bath."

Roxie nodded and swallowed, trying to keep the smell from invading her senses, she could almost see it on the air and felt it settling into her clothes and hair and just knew an acid bath was next on the agenda.


	36. Chapter 32

BOAB CH32

They pulled around the last bend and the drive opened up in front of them. A small, neat white clapboard home sat off to the left and to the right were acres of hog pens. Although they were in good repair, having been recently repainted it appeared, there was no way to disguise what they held. Hundreds of hogs were lying about in the early morning sun. Stepping out of the truck, the smell over powered her and she had to bend over and take a couple of deep breaths just to get rid of the dizzy spell. Standing up slowly she noticed the old man hobbling towards them.

Leaning heavily on his cane, his John Deere tractor hat was askew and his too large jeans were held up with suspenders. He moved slowly but surely, knarled fingers grasping the cane tightly as his other hand waved them down. His toothless grin lit up his face and she admired the wisdom in his light blue eyes, "Hiya Mal, who'd ya brung me?" he asked, his old man voice high and breathy at the same time.

"Hi Roscoe, this is my newest assistant, Roxie. Roxie, this is Roscoe Burley."

She stuck her hand out, fully intending a gently grip from his obviously arthritis stricken hands and was quite surprised when he took her hand in a full, strong grip and shook her hand vigorously, "Well, aren't you just as pretty as summer day?" he cackled. "Come on honey; let me show ya my farm." He led her towards the pens and left Mal behind. "Mal knows where he's goin honey, he don't need us." The two of them slowly made their way between the pens, large and open the walkways were completely clear of debris. Each pen had a wooden sign with the amount of hogs in it, along with their breed and whelping date. She was impressed at how organized everything seemed to be, especially since she hadn't seen anyone else there to help.

"Do you have anyone here to help you with this Mr. Burley?"

He laughed slightly and said, "You can call me Roscoe honey and nope, I'm 97 years old and have been running this farm by myself for over 60 years. My wife, may she rest, died about 35 years ago and we were never blessed with children." He looked wistfully across the pens and continued, "I never saw the need for any help, now, I can't drive anymore, damn doctors…what do they know anyway? So, I do have a young man come help me when it's time to take the hogs to the market, but other than that, I do it all by m'self."

Brennan was impressed, they continued through the maze of pathways until they got to the a big partially opened shed at the rear of the pens. "Which Hannah is it?" Mal asked, snapping on gloves from his bag and handing a pair to Brennan.

"There's more than one?" She asked pulling on her own gloves.

Roscoe laughed and wheezed at the same time, "All of my sows are named Hannah," he explained, "It's easier to keep track of just the one name y'see. Mal, she's the Duroc over in pen 4, got her back cut up pretty bad and I'm sure it's painin' her somethin' fierce." He was obviously concerned about her and Roxie wasn't sure how to react to the conundrum, he raised the pigs for slaughter, but was concerned when one was hurt. It was challenging for her rational mind to accept it, if he was concerned about them getting hurt, he shouldn't raise them for slaughter was her rationale. However, she wasn't a farmer so maybe it made sense to him.

Mal slid open the gate and maneuvered over to the hog in the corner, she turned and grunted up at him and he and Roxie knelt on either side of her, helping to stand her up, he whistled low through his teeth, "Wow Hannah, you did yourself up good this time didn't ya?" Her back was crisscrossed with cuts of various depth and some were deep enough to see deep pockets of fat and gristle. "Are you going to be able to help her?"Roxie asked with concern in her voice, looking over the beginning signs of infection in the wounds. "The best thing to do in my opinion would be to put her out of her misery, I admit." He told her quietly, looking over his shoulder, "I'll go talk to Roscoe and see what he wants me to do, she's his pig after all. But, I don't think that me sewing her up is really going to make much of a difference."

Mal made his way back to where Roscoe was leaning on his cane watching them while they attended to his sow, Mal leaned on the fence and pulled his mask down and Roxie watched him speaking quietly to the old farmer. Roscoe pulled a hanky from his jean pocket and wiped his eyes and blew his nose, nodding to Mal. For his part, Mal had put his hand on the man's withered shoulder and she could see just how hard it was for him to recommend euthanizing the animal, but given the extent of the cuts, it was really the best option. Nodding to him Mal came back and said soberly, "I'm going to go ahead and euthanize her, Roscoe is pretty upset, once I get the line in her leg, would you mind going to stand with him? I'll call his guy here shortly to meet us out here, and we'll take her back to the office and handle the rest of it for him." She looked up and saw that Mal was visibly upset too, it was just a pig but he cared and that made him even more of a champion in her eyes. "Are you okay Mal?"

He smiled and said, "Yes, it's just hard to see him get so upset, he's attached to each and every one of these critters." She patted him on the arm and helped him get the line attached to Hannah's leg before she walked over to where Roscoe was standing, looking out over the vast pens of his farm. She took her own mask off and stood next to him, he looked up and smiled and she could see the tears in his red rimmed eyes, "I bet you think it's silly for an old man to cry over a pig dontcha honey?"

She smiled softly at him, "Not at all Roscoe, I think that you care very much for what you do and these hogs are your family in a way, so to see one in this position is very hard for you. I can respect that." She put her hand on his shoulder and he reached up and covered it with his own. Too soon Mal came up behind them both and said quietly, "I've made arrangements for her to be taken to the office Roscoe, you won't have to do anything. Did you want me to look at anyone else while we're here?"

Roscoe turned and smiled up at the younger man, "Mal, you're a good man, no, you take this pretty lady here and go on about your day, I'm gonna get started cleaning out the back pens and then maybe do some fishin', I appreciate your comin' all the way out here, and you just send me that bill now." He stopped and offered his hand to Roxie again, "You're a real nice lady and I'm glad to see you're helpin' out our Mal here, you take care Miss and come see me again sometime." He tipped his old baseball cap and hobbled off towards a yellow backhoe, wiping his eyes again as he looked towards the sow pen.

Mal nodded after him and the two of them made their way back to the truck, "Virgil will be here in about an hour to get her loaded up and then he'll bring her to the office, we'll cremate her for Roscoe." He said as they got inside, he started the big truck up and offered her a handy wipe for her fingers, "Here, take this, thanks for standing with him, he's a good man."

"I liked him; he's got a good, kind heart. He reminds me of a friend of mine." She was thinking of Booth, his heart was bigger than anyone she'd ever met, and she was only now just discovering those depths, becoming intimate with him had opened up more and more doors to his soul than she had expected, and although overwhelming, it was something she was keen to explore, although not at the expense of the case. He nodded and the two of them headed out to the Chase ranch. Driving along in silence for a few miles he said out of the blue, "So, tell me, what the deal with you and Tony is?"

Surprised at the question, she looked over and said, "What do you mean, the 'deal'? I just met the guy."

He grinned and winked at her and said, "I've overheard some of the things the girls have been saying and from what I gathered went down at the Horn last night, things got a little heated between the two of you. I was just wondering if there was something going on there you might want to talk about?"

Brennan knew instantly that he was fishing and as much as she did want someone to talk to it was about her and Booth not Roxie and Tony so she replied, "He felt like we were closer than we are and that Jesse may have overstepped his boundaries, since I'm not tied to either one of them, I merely told him that I would date whomever I wanted whenever I wanted and if he wanted to be one of the cowboys I was interested in, he would need to back off. I'm sure he wasn't overly happy about it, but he accepted it, because when I left he was gone."

"Are you worried about what he might do?" He asked his eyes on the road ahead.

"Tony? No, I'm sure it was just the beer talking, he's a nice guy and I am attracted to him, but I'm also not looking for a relationship right now, I just want to do my job and have fun with my friends, you know?"

He nodded in agreement and said, "I understand, and its none of my business to be sure, but watch out for Jesse, he's got a hot head sometimes and he's been known to let fists fly when he doesn't get his way. I think Tony could hold his own, but I'd hate to see it come to that. You're kinda comin' in blind where some of these guys are concerned, and although I'm the last person to comment on personal relationships, I don't want to see you get hurt. Especially since you and I both know you aren't going to be here permanently."

She was silent as she let what he had said sink in, "Thank you Mal, I wish I could say that I would be here for the long term, but eventually I do have to get back to my own life. If I'm in the way or you want me to leave please let me know, I don't want to jeopardize your practice or anything by my hiatus from the real world." She looked over at him and caught his glance.

"Tempe, you stay as long as you need to stay. I'm not going to tell anyone who you are, neither is Cordelia. We understand the need to escape. The girls in the office are your allies and they've accepted you as well, so you do what you need to do. I'm just glad you agree to go out in the field with me, it's nice to have someone to talk to." He smiled at her.

"Thank you Mal."

He pulled into the driveway and up to the gates with the entwined C's at the entrance to the Chase ranch and waited for the gates to open. She looked out over the familiar spread and was surprised to see that all three boys were already here, Connor and Travis were watching Clay walk around the paddock on a long lead and a horse that was, in her opinion, much too big for the small boy.

Mal pulled the truck to a stop and the two of them got out, "I'm glad to smell fresh air again," She said with a grin. "I'm just glad the smell didn't follow us." Mal responded.

They walked up to where the boys were and Mal greeted them, "Hey guys, you ready to go?"

Clay stopped the horse and walked him over to where the others had gathered, "Hi Dr. Reynolds! Look, I'm riding Maximus today! Miss Chase said that she thought it was time I started riding larger horses and gave Scoot a break cool huh?" Mal smiled up at him and said, "Clay that is really great! It won't be long before your Aunt Stefanie will be getting you another horse, although Scoot will most likely be the right size for you for some time to come."

Conner and Travis were chatting quietly among themselves and Brennan was watching the kids and Mal interact when Cordelia came out of the barn and she watched Mal look up and all of his attention was instantly on her. She led Scoot over to where the boys were, and smiled, "Mal, hello there, you're earlier than I expected. I was going to change."

He smiled shyly and said, "You don't need to change for me Cordie, you look just fine."

Even Brennan could pick up on the obvious tension in the air and tried to divert some of the attention, "So, Travis, Conner what are you guys going to be working on for the parade?"

Travis was off and running telling her about the float they were going to be helping with and the ideas they had and how they were going to get it all done and who was going to help. She listened with rapt attention and was about to suggest a couple of minor changes when Clay suddenly broke in and said, "You're Roxie!"

Startled she looked up and said, "How did you know that?"

He grinned as Conner helped him off the larger horse and Leo came straight to his side. "Because Tony talks about you all the time and he said you were the prettiest cowgirl he'd ever seen and you were new here and worked for Dr. Reynolds and since I've never seen you before I realized that you are her." He stuck his hand out and she took it in hers as he said, "I'm Clay, and you work with my Aunt Stefanie. This is Leo." He nodded to the small mountain standing next to him and she smiled, he reminded her so much of Parker Booth. "It's nice to meet you Clay, and yes, I am Roxie. So, Tony talks about me huh?"

Clay stepped closer and leaned against Leo, riding the bigger horse although fun had put a lot of pressure on his leg and he was needing the support the giant dog had to offer, "Yes Ma'am, he likes you a lot. He told me so over dinner the other night." He got a goofy grin on his face and said, "He really likes you, his face turned all red when he said it too."

Mal and Cordie laughed and Brennan looked up to catch the grins on their faces, she knew her face was red too, not only did he remind her of Parker Booth in his mannerisms, he also channeled him in his enthusiasm for getting his dad a girlfriend. "Well, I like Tony too, he's a nice cowboy." She said smiling down at the boy. Mal interrupted the awkward silence and said, "Well boys, let's get you to the arena, I've got some patients to tend to this afternoon."

"Cordelia, is Clay's grandma coming to get him and the boys or does he need a ride home too? I could take your spare trailer?"Mal asked as he held open the gate and Travis maneuvered his wheelchair out while Conner just clambered over the top rail. "His grandma is coming over for him, so he'll be fine. Won't you Clay?" She ruffled his hair and he grinned and then looked down, absently stroking Leo's ear. "I wish I could go too." He mumbled.

Roxie knelt down in front of him which earned her a huge face cleaning from Leo, pushing him aside she said, "Clay, if it's okay with your Aunt, maybe you can come too, I could call her?" She had no way of knowing whether Stefanie would agree or not, but it was obvious he felt left out.

"Would you call her?" He asked, his face bright with the possibility of being able to join his friends after all.

"Sure, I'll call her right now." She pulled her phone out and stepped away and called Stefanie.

"Stefanie?"

"Roxie?"

"Yes, listen I'm at the Chase ranch with Mal and the kids and Clay was here for a riding lesson, would it really be that bad for him to go to the arena with the other boys?"

"I don't know, he's a lot smaller than Conner and although Travis is there, he's in a wheelchair. I don't want him to get hurt or be in the way. Plus, I can't get him home tonight." She didn't want to deny Clay the time with his friends, but she also knew that her mom didn't like to drive at night, and she had iron clad plans she couldn't break even if she wanted to. Her nephew was important to her, but there were times when she needed to step away from the role of 'Aunt' Stefanie.

"That's okay, I'm sure we can get him a ride home, I'm not doing anything tonight, so push come to shove, I could bring him back to the motel, Mal can use Miss Chase's spare trailer, so we can get Scoot back to the motel."

"What about Leo?" Stefanie asked knowing without being told that the big dog was there with them, "Clay doesn't go anywhere without that damn dog and the boys aren't going to want him around all the livestock, it makes the broncs and bulls nervous."

Roxie put her hand over the bottom of the phone, "Will Leo stay at the motel if we drop him and Scoot off?"

Clay looked at his best friend. He didn't want to leave him behind, but he would be giving up the chance to go see the cowboys in action and he'd be helping with the parade, he simply never got these kinds of opportunities. "He'll stay." He said with confidence.

"Leo's taken care of Stef, so is it okay?" Roxie held her breath, she didn't want to overstep any boundaries.

After a few minutes of silence Stefanie came back on the line, "Okay, I'll call my mom. Thank you Roxie for thinking of him and I'll give your number to my mom just in case." She disconnected the phone and Roxie turned to the assembled group, "Head 'em out and load 'em up boys, you're going with us Clay!" She gave thumbs up and he jumped in the air as much as he was able to, "Alright! Thanks Roxie!" The look on his face was thanks enough in her opinion; she couldn't believe something as simple as a child's smile could make her feel so good.

Mal and Cordelia began to get the spare trailer hooked up and Roxie helped Conner get Clay and Travis into the back of the truck, and the wheelchair secured in the bed. Settling in, she waved goodbye to Cordelia as Mal pulled out onto the driveway and on their way to the arena. The three boys chattered in the back as Leo stuck his big head out the rear window, eager to catch every scent between the Chase ranch and the motel. While Malcolm navigated the dirt drive to the main road, she texted Booth, 'Clay will be at arena w/Travis & Conner. Come see him if you can. Bones.'


	37. Chapter 33

BOAB CH 33

"Aww...look how cute the gimp is here with the rest of the rodeo brats."

"C'mon Man, he should get to hang out with the other kids too, I know I'd be #### crazy if I had to live with that old woman all the time."

The three cowboys sat on the top rail of the practice arena, half hidden from sight. They watched the vet and the kids unload their belongings. "Whew...now, that's someone I'd like to give a nice long ride too."

Roxie walked around the side of the truck and smiled broadly as she helped Travis get into his wheelchair. Clay was positively vibrating from the excitement of being able to join them, and she found his enthusiasm was contagious. She tipped his hat and leaned down to give him a kiss on the cheek.

"Now darlin' don't be wastin' none of that sugar on them young boys, you need to give that up to a real man."

"I'm pretty sure Tony's got that sewn up buddy." The comment was low and snide. Throwing his toothpick down into the dirt Jesse looked over at Chuck and said, "You aren't here to think Chuck, and believe me, she's going to see just what's she's missing with that dumb c'nuck." He spat into the dirt and then inserted a fresh dip of chew, wiping his mouth he continued, "You got that other shipment squared away yet?"

Chuck spat and answered, his eyes still on Clay and the rest of the kids as they walked into the barns to work on the floats, "Yeah, the barrels are loaded up and ready to go out tonight. Same place. All we need is the trailer hooked up."

Jesse looked over at the third member of their trio, "That's on you buddy, you ready?"

"I don't know Jesse, these shipments are coming in faster than we can move the stuff and the barrels aren't as good a quality. What if something happens again?"

Chuck reached over and tapped his shoulder and then jumped off the rail. "What happened to that girl had nothing to do with any of this stuff, just a casualty of war, that kind of #### happens. Just hook the damn trailer up, haul it to the drop off point and the rest will take care of itself."

The third cowboy looked at Jesse and Chuck and swallowed hard and then said, "Alright guys, but the next drive is on one of you, I'm not going to do it, my wife thinks I'm cheating on her and I've got to lay low."

Watching Roxie's hips twitch as she moved over to where the rest of the cowboys were clustered, Jesse said, "I'm pretty sure we will all be 'laying low' sooner rather than later." Following his line of sight the other two started to laugh. The three of them split up and walked to various parts of the arena and barn, picking up stray equipment and putting them away. It was late in the day and getting closer to Longhorn time. Roxie headed back to the truck with Mal and waved at Jesse and Chuck as they reconvened by the tack shed. Waving lazily back Jesse said almost inaudibly, "You're mine Roxie, whether you like it or not."


	38. Chapter 34

BOAB CH34

The sun rose slowly in the sky and spread its rays across the valley, the clouds absorbing the multi colored hues like paint on paper. Stefanie sat quietly on her horse, gazing over the back of the hotel from her vantage point on the butte. A steaming cup of coffee in her hand, she watched the newest guests loading up their bags in their cars and wondered what it would be like to just pack up and go somewhere else, even a dump like the Dew Drop would be a nice distraction she thought. Taking a drink of the coffee and then throwing the rest to the side, she automatically reached down and patted Switz on his neck and said, "Don't be such a wuss Switz," when he shied away from the liquid. Urging him to go, she trotted back down towards the hotel, to get the inevitable over with.

Stefanie took Switz into the barn and after removing his saddle, and giving him a quick rub down, she poured his oats and then let him into an unused stall. Gunn stuck his head over the stall and whinnied quietly, she patted him on the nose and said hello just as Leo came barreling into the barn full bore. He stopped short of knocking her over and flashed a doggy grin. She smiled at the big dog and rubbed his ears as she walked out of the barn. Barely glancing at the all too familiar black and white truck and trailer that had appeared over night, she took a deep breath and entered the office.

Coffee and stale cigarette smoke were the dominating odors in the lobby and she realized that she'd smelled that combination for so many years that it was ingrained in her memory of how this place was supposed to smell. Pushing past the counter and into her mom's quarters she stopped short and watched the scene in front of her with equal parts dread and long suppressed sadness. The man standing with his back to the door was as familiar to her as her own shadow, and she couldn't stop the sudden lurch of feeling that tangled in her stomach before closing over her heart in a cold fist, leaving her slightly breathless. The blonde hair was a little longer, curling over his collar somewhat; his shoulders were just as broad, legs just as long.

"S s s so, what g g grade are you in C c c clay?" He asked.

Clay looked up at the stranger and smiled around his pancakes, "I'm in third grade."

"T t that's c c c cool." The man replied, turning as if he felt he was being watched. Clay looked towards the door at the same time and said, "Aunt Stef! Gramma, Aunt Stef is here too!"

Stefanie's mom came out of the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand along with a cigarette and said, "Well, then it's a party isn't it Clay? Why don't you hurry up and eat, then go on to your chores there okay?"

Clay realized that the dynamic in the room had changed, although he didn't know it that way, things just felt a little different. Stuffing the last of his pancakes in his mouth he grabbed his hat and got up. "Okay, when I'm done, can I go to Trav's house?"

"We'll see honey." His grandma said her eyes on her daughter and the man that had appeared early this morning. Clay limped over to his aunt and hugged her tight, "Don't leave without saying good bye okay Aunt Stef?" He looked up at her, and she smiled down at him, kneeling she gave him a better hug and kiss on his forehead, "Wouldn't dream of it bud, I'll see you later."

"B b bye Clay." The stranger said around his own cup of coffee.

"Bye Mr. Jayson!"

Stefanie waited until she heard the outer door shut, barely cutting off Clay's shout to Leo and turned back to her mom and Jayson. "What are you doing here Jayson?" She asked without preamble.

"Well hello t t t to you Stef," he said as he walked towards her, she risked a glance at his face and saw that he'd aged since the last time she'd seen him, fine wrinkles feathered the corners of his familiar blue eyes as well as framed his mouth. He stopped just in front of her and held out his arms, leaning in to hug her when she stepped back, "I'm not ready for that Jay. Why are you here?" She asked again, her arms crossed over her chest. Looking past him slightly she saw her mom's face flush.

"I asked him to come." Said Dottie. Stefanie glared at her mom and said, "You had no right, I'll talk to you later." Turning to Jayson, she said, "What do you want Jayson?"

Jayson sighed and looked at the woman in front of him, so angry and tense. So very different from the happy go lucky girl she'd been when he first saw her on the circuit. He'd fallen in love with her the very first moment he'd seen her, lugging hay with her twin. Of all the cowboys at that local rodeo in Texas, he'd never gotten them confused, something about her just tugged at his heart. The first time he'd smiled at her and she smiled back, he felt like the heavens had opened. Jayson wasn't a stranger to pretty girls, he and Jesse both were able to get their fair share, but his stutter always held him back and eventually the girls just stopped wanting anything to do with him outside of the bedroom, but not Stefanie. She was patient and kind and they could talk for hours. It really hurt him to see the woman that was standing here wasn't the same girl that he'd known so long ago.

"I'm h h here b b because I found out about J J Jax and C C Clay. Why didn't y y you t t tell me I about my s s sons S S Stefanie?"


	39. Chapter 35

BOAB CH35

He looked the image reflected back at him up and down. No matter which angle he turned the mirror showed just how ridiculous he really looked. Black cowboy boots with hot pink stitching pulled up over the bright red long johns, a pair of blue jean shorts that were more a skirt than anything. Capped off with a tight white tank top, yellow flannel torn off at the sleeves and a black safety vest, the clothes although hideous wasn't the worst of it however. The worst of it was the heavy grease paint on his face. He couldn't avoid it any more, he was a clown. A rodeo clown. Booth sighed and pulled on his blue straw hat and exited the small room behind the main arena. Curtis snickered at first and then got quiet when he realized he must look equally ridiculous.

"Somehow I thought we would be able to avoid this part of it, didn't you?" He asked Tony as they mounted up their horses.

"Yeah, I'm not sure why we need to practice today in full costume to be honest, " he paused and said under his breath as Jesse, Dirk and Chuck entered the barn and pointed at them, "I think we're being hazed."

Curtis looked over towards where he was nodding, "Yeah, I bet you're right. You going to the bonfire tomorrow?" he asked. "From what I've heard it's a lot of fun."

Booth thought about it, they were no closer to solving this case then when they started, they had minor successes with some evidence which was Bones' bailiwick, but he wasn't 'feeling' the killer which he was able to do. So far the only thing that he and Bones had been able to accomplish was their bedroom activities and he had himself a raging case of the 'I love you's' to contend with, not to mention he felt like adopting a certain blonde young man because he felt so connected to him.

Turning Gunn's head as they began to trot into the arena for their run through he said, "Yeah, I'm going. It beats hanging out in the roach motel."

"Is Roxie going?" Curtis asked slyly with a wink.

Tony turned and looked back at the young cowboy, "I'm sure the girls will talk her into it, why?"

Grinning like a fourth grader Curtis said, "Oh no reason." Then kicked Honey into a lope and left Tony and Gunn behind. Shaking his head Booth said under his breath, "It's like having another Sweet's around."

Roxie, Carrie and Danni were filing in the office and chatting when Stefanie came in, her eyes slightly red. "What happened Stef? Are you okay?" Danni asked instantly stepping over to put her arm on Stef's.

"Jayson is here thanks to my mom. I can't believe she called him." She said fiercely as she stuffed her bag into the filing cabinet. Carrie and Danni's faces both held identical looks of shock while Roxie's was just confused.

"Who is Jayson?" She asked as Stefanie poured herself a cup of coffee.

"Jayson is Clay's father."

Silence greeted her response until Carrie took it upon herself to break it, "Why did your mom call him? Is Clay okay?"

"Clay is fine, she just thought that he should be here, she thinks that Clay needs a 'father figure'." She replied, visibly upset it was remarkable how her Swiss accent, tempered by many years in the states was brought back to the forefront.

"Clay has a father figure, he has tons of them!" Carrie exclaimed. "He's hanging out with Travis's dad all the time, Dirk and Jesse are around and Jesse is his uncle for crying out loud, not to mention Jake. I'm sure Jake is around quite a bit since you two have hooked up. Why now?"

Stefanie shook her head at her friends, they didn't know the full story and she didn't know if after all this time she could even tell them. She wasn't sure that Jayson being here was a good or a bad idea, and she wasn't sure if she should tell Clay he was his father. Right now she just wished things were simple again, Stella would know what to do. She was always the one who knew what to do. Stefanie was just completely out of her element.

"I think mom just wanted to stir up trouble and old heartbreak, you know how she can be, if there's no drama then she's bored."

"Excuse me?" a woman's thin and reedy voice came from the front lobby.

Peeking around the corner Carrie saw that there was a client in the lobby, "Well ladies, we'll have to finish this later, the morning has begun." She put her files down and walked into the lobby, "Hello Mrs. Lane, let's get Lego sorted out shall we?" Stefanie took the interruption as an opportunity to go to her office in the boarding/grooming part of the office leaving Danni and Roxie alone.

"I can't believe Dottie called Jayson, what a nightmare." Danni said grabbing the files Carrie abandoned.

Silent up until now Roxie said, "Why is that a bad thing?"

Danni raised her eyebrow and said, "Because, we all know that Jayson is Clay's father, but Jayson didn't know it and neither did Clay." Bones was stunned, why wouldn't Stella had told him about his children? Asking Danni that very question.

"I'm not sure Stefanie and Stella were never really that close, they were twins yes, and aside from competing in the same events, they were pretty much separate in everything. Then Jayson came along and fell hard for Stefanie. I guess Stella had set her sights on him, so she did everything and anything to get his attention. He proposed they got married and then Stefanie got sick, so Stella stayed with her and he went back on the circuit, the boys were born and then next thing we know Stella is back in town with two boys and no Jayson. She and Stefanie did their best with them; some of the guys helped out, Chuck and Dirk. Plus Jesse, he's a jerk but he's been there for the boys when he could. I don't know what ever happened to Jayson. All the girls would say is that he was gone, I mean, I assumed he died." She paused.

"Jesse never talked about him and it wasn't until recently he mentioned that Jayson was still on the circuit and needed a partner which is why he was moving up after the rodeo next week." She put the rest of the files away while Roxie leaned against the desk absorbing what she was saying.

"So let me see if I've got this straight," She said carefully, "Jayson and Stella got married, Stefanie got sick and Stella stayed in Texas to take care of her, Jayson went back on the circuit, Stella showed up here with the twins and Stefanie followed. Jayson's been on the circuit this whole time with no idea that he's a father. Stella and Jax die in a barn fire and now it's just Stefanie and Clay. Jesse knows Jayson is his father, but doesn't say anything to Clay about it and everyone is okay with keeping this huge secret from this boy?"

Danni turned and smiled sadly, "Yep, that about sums it up."


	40. Chapter 36

BOAB CH36

Bones was silent for a moment and then said, "Wow, it's really kind of sad isn't it? The way that secrets can change people."

Danni nodded in agreement and the two of them continued working.

Tony took his hat off and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and grimaced at the white streak of paint that appeared. Grabbing a water bottle he sucked it down, the rivulets on either side of his lips cutting through the makeup on his face and dripping down his chest. Curtis took a long swig of his water bottle and then sat back on a hay bale. "Man that was intense! I can't believe how easy it looks until you actually do it!"

Tony nodded and took another drink, "No shit man, I'm beat. I thought I was in pretty good shape until I had to dodge a 2000 pound bull and leap onto 1700 pounds of pissed off horse." The two of them grinned at each other and relaxed into the bales of hay scattered around the arena. Curtis noticed Chuck, Jesse and Tug huddled on the other side of the arena and remarked quietly, "You ever notice how those guys are always together and rarely actually out with the rest of us? Dirk, Jake and Doug are always doing something but those three kind of just…well drift around."

Tony followed his gaze and said, "Yeah, it's like they're on a different agenda than the rest of us." The two of them were silent as they watched the other three men.

"Tug, you ready to go tonight?"

Tug pulled the plug of chewing tobacco out of his mouth and threw it down on the ground before answering, "Yeah, I told Mary I was going to be here getting things packed for the bonfire tomorrow, so I'm good. I don't know if she really bought it or not though." His tone was morose. He didn't know how this had escalated out of control, moving drugs in the barrels was one thing, but two girls had died now and he wasn't sure he wanted to be involved when it all came unraveled. Jesse and Chuck were getting more and more reckless as far as the drugs were concerned.

"Oh Mary will find something to do tonight I'm sure without you there Tuggy." Chuck said with a sneer. Lilah's prowling was legendary among their group but Mary's was epic. She could make her way through cowboys like a hot knife through butter and there were more times than any of them could count where they'd had to separate an overzealous cowboy that didn't realize she was married and was just playing around. Tug knew she flirted heavily and the more she drank the more she flirted, but he was sure that she had never cheated on him. After all, he lied to her about where the extra money came from, but he'd never cheated on her.

"Okay Tug, I'll leave the gate unlocked when I leave and then you can come in and get the truck, just take it to the truck stop and leave the keys on the console, it'll get picked up. I'll swing by and get your truck early tomorrow morning and we'll be all set." Jesse said looking over his shoulder towards the parking lot. "Holy shit." He said quickly and stood up and put his hand to his forehead, shielding his eyes to get a better look. "What the hell is he doing here?"

Tug and Chuck looked where he was indicating and saw the big black and white truck pulling in hauling a matching six horse trailer. "Oh man, this is not good, this is going to mess everything up isn't it Jesse?" Tug said his voice quick and worried.

"Nah, we'll be fine, I don't know why he's here, unless he got hurt, but I would have known about that, plan stays the same boys, I'll call you later." Jesse put another bit of chew in and walked out to meet his brother in the parking lot. Chuck looked at Tug who had a very worried look on his face, "Knock it off man, we're golden. We do this tonight and then the bonfire then the rodeo next week. We'll be so busy that no one is even gonna notice us. Now, let's go get the rubes back on their horses, don't want them stiffening up." He grinned and clapped Tug on the shoulder and they turned towards Curtis and Tony.

Walking across the arena Chuck hollered, "Come on ladies, let's get back out there." Curtis grimaced at the lady term and rolled his eyes at Tony, "C'mon Man, we're being paged."

Tony stood up and stretched putting his hat back on when he felt his phone vibrate. Looking down at the display he saw a text, _"Dinner tonight my place?" _Smiling he texted back quickly, _"Yeah got info?"_

She responded almost as soon as he hit send, _"I have some info, bring wine."_

Surprised at what she'd sent but interested in the news he started to text back when Chuck said, "C'mon Tony, tell the bitch you'll see her later and let's go." Booth looked up at him sitting on his horse, his eyes darkened to pure black and filled with loathing for the muscle bound cowboy. "Call her a bitch again Chuck and it'll be the last thing you ever say."

Chuck's smile slid off of his face as he realized that although he outweighed Tony, there was something about the man that told him he'd probably not walk away from the fight. "Sorry man didn't mean it personally." He grinned and tipped his hat, and put his horse into a trot.

Seething Booth sent back a quick response, "Okay will do." He was interested to know what information she had, and even more interested to know why she asked for wine. The tightening in his groin hoped that it would mean a little one on one time, but the way Bones was it was probably more to complement the meal than anything. Sighing, he pulled himself up onto Gunn's back and followed Curtis, Chuck and Tug back to the middle of the arena.

Mal came in around four o'clock and asked the girls what the schedule looked like for the rest of the day, "No appointments Bossman." Carrie said filling out a transfer form for a family to take their dog to another state for a military assignment. Rubbing his hands together nervously he said, "Good, okay…good…then, I'm going to take off." He turned and started to exit when Danni never looking up from her paperwork said brightly, "Hot date?"

Mal stopped dead in the door and the girls smiled as the flush filled his neck to his cheeks, "Um, no…not a date…I mean its dinner…but not a date."

"With Ms. Chase?" Roxie said with a smile from her vantage point behind the counter. She liked the doctor and knew that it was perfect for him and the retired actress.

Coughing slightly Mal nodded and rushed out the door to the girl's laughter. Sighing he ran his hand through his hair and crawled into the cab of his truck. "Okay Mal, this isn't that hard, you know Cordie and Connor will be there too." He took a deep breath and turned the engine over. The girls watched his truck turn onto the road and they all giggled, "What's so funny in here?" Stefanie said entering the room.

"Mal has a date with Cordie." Carrie trilled filing the transfer paperwork.

"Well, it's about time!" Stefanie smiled at her friends. The smile on her face didn't give away her inner turmoil. She was torn between telling Jayson the truth and coming clean to Clay as well, but on the other hand, she was hoping to avoid the topic altogether. She and Jayson had talked earlier today and although she never game him a real reason for why he didn't know about his sons, they were able to have a decent conversation. His eyes filled up a little when she told him about Stella and Jax's deaths. Jayson told her that he was going to go visit their graves and then head over to the arena and see Jesse. She came to work and they agreed that they would try to talk more before the bonfire. Jayson hadn't been to one in years, but if they were anything like they were when he was here and the hottest commodity on the local circuit, it was bound to be a blowout.


	41. Chapter 37

BOAB CH37

Booth left the arena like his boots were on fire and his ass was catching, he drove as fast as his loaded down trailer would allow to the hotel where he was going to unload Gunn, shower, shave and whatever else he needed to do and then head to Brennan's place. For her part, Brennan left the office with a list of things she was to bring for the bonfire and drove straight to her place. The weather had been cooperating the last few days and instead of being overcast and raining, was warming up quite well. She knew that Booth would want to shower and change before coming over to her house, so she had planned on getting the stalls cleaned out, as well as starting the mac and cheese she'd promised him. Pulling into her drive, she parked the truck front end out and went inside, putting her bag by the front door and going into her bedroom. She pulled her hair into a quick ponytail and pulled off her hoody. Putting the majority of the meal together wasn't all that time consuming, and when Booth got there, she'd be able to start it cooking and they could get to their case notes. Being in this laid back atmosphere had almost relaxed her to a point that she'd never felt before. The little drama's occurring in and around the people that she interacted with had long since taken a front seat to the case they were on, and instead of feeling anxious about that, she felt like she imagined most people felt like in their own lives. She loved the freedom working at the vet's office offered; she liked her new friends and felt like she was a part of something.

She continued her introspective thoughts as she walked out to the barn. Greeting her in his typical exuberant yet aloof fashion, Wrath was the first one she turned out. Once he was out, she slipped into the stalls of Fury and Charcoal and petting them each thoroughly she let them out in the pasture as well. Leaning on the scoop shovel she watched each of them as they navigated the pasture, calm and quiet Charcoal picked her way through the tall grass, pausing now and again to munch on something that looked pleasing. Fury alternated trotting and walking, although he too paused and ate occasionally. Wrath was living up to his name, full of vigor he bolted from one side of the pasture, pausing only to toss his head and snort. She grinned and quickly finished up the stalls before walking out to the pasture herself. Fury and Charcoal looked up and nickered at her before resuming their culinary pursuits. Wrath however was in a mood to play. He bolted towards her, head down and then when he was almost too close for comfort, turned abruptly and loped off. Laughing, she began anticipating what he was planning to do, and started to play a modified game of tag with him. So caught up in her play, she didn't even hear the old Chevy truck wheeze down the driveway and rattle to a stop.

Booth climbed out of his death trap and sighed as it continued to settle and tick when he was clear of it. Driving his own luxury SUV was something he swore he'd ever take for granted again. Because of the way the house was situated the pasture was partially obscured or he would have seen Bones and Wrath playing right away, instead he went inside. "Bones? You in here?" He called entering the kitchen from the main room. With no response, he set the bottle of wine down and walked towards the bedrooms, both doors were ajar and neither bathroom was occupied. Realizing that she was probably outside with the horses, he uncorked the wine to let it breathe and headed out back. Wrath quickly pounded into view, flanks marked with white flecks of sweat and his mane looked tangled and damp, Booth made his way to the fence and stopped short when he saw her.

She was standing in the middle of the pasture, her hair in a damp and messy ponytail, wearing nothing but jeans and a white sports bra that he could see. She had sweated clear through the bra and very little was left to his imagination as the pressure in his crotch could attest to. He started to call out to her when Wrath bore straight down on her, torn between his insane desire to see what would happen and the innate urge to warn her he was momentarily speechless and then was in awe when he saw the big black horse stop in front of her long enough for her to grab a hank of his mane and pull herself up onto his back. Taking off at full speed the two of them raced across the pasture, the other two horses completely oblivious. When Wrath stopped, she slid off and started to run, he followed her, the two of them zig zagging around and simply enjoying their game.

Booth had never seen her so free before. She was such a different person here, she was the person that he always imagined she would have been had her family life been different. She was laughing and playing with the horse like he was a dog, she was flippant and daring, dancing on stage, riding the bull, and a whole host of other things that he never expected from his staid and regimented scientist. She bent over and the waist and exhaled loudly before stretching back up and putting her arms out to her side. She began to spin around and around faster and faster until she collapsed in a heap. Booth started to climb the fence, but then saw her stand up and wipe her brow. She whistled for the horse and they all came over to her like obedient dogs and followed her as she made her way to the barn. Booth walked towards the barn planning to intercept her. He made his way inside and was going to go through the stalls to the pasture when he heard a large splash, going towards the back of the barn he saw through one of the split panels where she was dunking her head and upper body into a steel water trough. Standing up quickly, he watched every drop of water explode from her body as she threw herself backwards, her bra clinging to her breasts like a second skin. He bit back a groan as his still hard cock begged for a view of its own. Pushing himself into a more comfortable position, he yelled, "Bones?" Wincing as his voice cracked, he tried again, "Hey Roxie? You in here?"

"I'm back here Tony!" She answered, as he quickly made his way back to the entrance. He didn't want her to know that he'd been watching her the whole time, for some reason it seemed like it was a private moment he shouldn't have intruded on, however on the other hand, he was glad he did, if nothing else he'd have pleasant dreams with those images. She walked inside the barn and locked the horses in. Shaking her hair down around her shoulders, she smiled broadly at him, "Hi Tony! I mean Booth; guess I can call you that now right? We are alone after all."

He smiled back, thinking how alone he'd like them to be, "Yeah, I think Booth is fine Bones. Do you need any help in here?"

She shook her head, "No, they're all set for the evening; I need to shower though so if you don't mind, I'll ask you to start dinner? It's all ready; it just needs to be put in the oven." Somewhere between the trough and him she'd put her tank top back on, but it was doing little if anything to cover her wet upper body, it was actually making it more difficult for him to concentrate rather than less. Clearing his throat and thinking of hockey players he said, "Sure, I'll start it up and get my case notes out, you take your shower and we'll go from there."

She cocked her head quizzically and looked at him, "Are you okay Booth?"

"Sure why?"

"You're voice is a higher octave than it normally is which usually is in response to a stress filled situation, I was just concerned that everything was okay." Watching her climb the steps in front of him and thinking he was anything but okay he said in a deeper voice, "I'm fine, right as rain, tip top in fact." _Not to mention, a complete dork_, he thought to himself, lucky that she didn't pick up on it, in fact was already inside the cabin.


	42. Chapter 38

BOAB CH38

"Hey man, I'm not gonna be able to get that cargo where it needs to go. Sorry."

Jesse listened to the voicemail again and threw his hand up in frustration; cursing out loud he quickly dialed Chuck. "What?" Chuck barked into the phone, he was tired and just wanted to veg in front of his television for the rest of the night.

"Tug pussed out on me so I'm going to have to get the cargo to the drop off point, so I'm going to need you to take my stuff up to the bon fire."

"What do you want me to do?" He asked instantly alert. With Tug out of the picture on this run, that put a lot more pressure on him and Jesse. Pressure that mounted each time something else went wrong, which for this run seemed to be the norm rather than the exception.

"Jayson is gonna be at my place tonight so I can't get anything done right now, but first light I'm going to take Spider up to the drop spot and leave him there, then I'll drop my stuff off with you, once it gets dark I'll take the cargo up there, leave it for the runner and ride Spider to the bonfire."

"What should I tell everyone when you're not there?" Chuck wasn't worried about Jesse; it wasn't the first time one of them had ridden to the bonfire after all.

"Just tell them I had truck trouble or something, whatever you do, keep Jayson from playing the 'white hat' role and coming to get me."

"Alright you're the boss." Chuck hung up and walked into the kitchen of his small ranch house, popping a beer he looked at the picture on the wall, the picture of him and his dad on the day he won his first bronc competition. Knowing that his dad wouldn't be proud of the man he'd become but knowing no other way around it, he swallowed a gulp of beer and turned away from the picture.

~Meanwhile~

Brennan stepped out of the shower and wrapped a large towel around her body and proceeded to the closet, pulling out a pair of wheat colored Capri pants, she laid them next to a peach colored tank top she'd already put out before the shower. She combed her hair and pulled it into a neat braid before dressing. Staying barefoot she padded into the kitchen to find Booth standing with his back to the hallway, looking at her beautiful mountain view.

"Ready?" She said brightly startling him somewhat.

He turned and swallowed tightly, _it doesn't matter what she wears she's beautiful_, he thought to himself. "Yeah, ready when you are." The two of them sat down and went over what they had so far. Jack had emailed them a report showing that in addition to the ribbon they found in the barrel, there were also miniscule traces of cocaine, not to mention there had been a report filed by two trucking companies of missing barrels that had been delivered to the same arena that they were working at, but never recovered after local events. Angela and one of the companies had compared photos of the barrel that Elizabeth had been found in and they determined that it was indeed one of theirs. She had sent over copies of their shipping invoices, and Booth and Brennan quickly determined that it was possible that Elizabeth had interrupted a drug deal. After checking the remains and going over the autopsy report via email and digital photos' Jack asked if it was possible that the 'torture' injuries she reflected were actually done post mortem. Brennan had studied them and even forwarded them to one of her colleagues when she'd had a spare moment and the two of them determined that it was possible that she could have sustained some of the injuries from being forced into the barrel after she'd been killed.

Booth leaned back in his seat and wiped his hand over his brow. "No matter how many of these we do, it never ceases to amaze me how twisted some people can be." Brennan looked over at him, tanner now for having been working outside and somewhat more relaxed, she reached over and patted his hand, "I know Booth, I feel the same way, but you're making a difference, each and every time." He covered her hand with his other one, "I couldn't do it without you Bones." His voice softened as he allowed his eyes to caress her face, leaning towards her slightly he was intending to kiss her when the buzzer on the oven began to sound off. Smiling crookedly he stood up and went to silence the alarm, as she stood and began to set the bar, pushing their papers to the side. She pulled out a wine glass and filled it partially, setting it in front of his place. He turned to the table with the mac and cheese and set it down. "Just one glass? It's the finest wine I could get for seven bucks Bones." He winked as he sat down.

She reached for a bottle of water, "No, I'm good with the water, thanks Booth." Raising his eyebrow, but accepting it he started dishing out her plate and his. The two of them engaged in mindless conversation about their surroundings and the people they had met. "Are you excited about the bonfire?" She asked, reaching over and refilling his wine glass. The first time she'd done that he hadn't noticed it, this time however it struck him as odd. Taking a sip of the wine, he sat back from the bar slightly and said, "I wouldn't say I'm excited about it, partying in the woods was fun when I was 17, but I find I don't like being up that late all that much anymore." He grinned at her. "You seem to be excited though."

She grinned back, "Yes, I find it fascinating and am definitely excited. I can't wait to observe the interaction of the group dynamic in such a free and wild atmosphere." He knew that squint speak was a defense of hers and asked quietly, "Have you ever been to a bonfire party Bones?"

She stood up to gather their plates without answering and he lightly grabbed her wrist, pausing she looked down at him and said, "No, I was never really interested in them when I was younger; I was busy with my studying and class work."

He pulled her over towards him, causing her to put the plates down, "Were you ever invited to one?" Knowing the answer before she even spoke and hurting for her when she did answer, he began to pull her in for a hug.

Holding her in his arms, he stroked lazily up her back until he felt her relax. He began to move his face towards her exposed shoulder, intending to kiss her softly when she pulled out of his arms. "Would you like more wine?" She asked, grabbing the bottle.

"Bones, if I didn't know better I would say you were trying to get me drunk, what gives, you've had nothing but water and I'm three quarters of the way through a bottle of cheap wine."

She didn't answer him, just took the dishes to the sink, filling the sink with water, her back to him she quietly said, "I thought it would be easier if you had something to drink."

Booth wasn't sure he heard what she said and got up to stand next to her, "Did you just say it would be easier if I was drinking?"

She turned to him and looked him in the eye, "Yes."

He reached over and turned off the faucet, "You thought what would be easier Bones?"

He leaned on the counter, folding his arms across his chest, and looked down at her, waiting for her response. Bones plunged her hands into the warm, soapy water and said, "Well I thought perhaps we could have intercourse again tonight, and the last two times we've been together you had been drinking and I just thought that you might need the false bravado that alcohol provides people before you would be interested in a coital union."

Laughing he took her hand out of the soapy water and pressed her palm to the crotch of his pants, "Bones, I've felt like this since I got here and saw you in the field with Wrath. All sweaty and dirty and messy, I don't need alcohol to be attracted to you and I certainly don't need any 'false bravado'." She let her hand rest on his fly and looked up at him, seeing his brown eyes darken to black she licked her bottom lip and felt the tremor that rocked his body. He leaned towards her and took her other hand out of the water and slipped it around his waist, "Wait Booth, we should finish the dishes first." She protested as he leaned down to kiss her.

"They'll be there Bones, don't worry, they aren't going anywhere." He said as he pulled her tighter to his chest and pressed his lips to hers.


	43. Chapter 39

BOAB CH39

Booth felt her relax against his chest with the kiss and his heart swelled. She was everything he'd ever wanted and it was times like these that he wished she could see how much he needed her and how happy they could be together. She responded to his light kiss with more passion and he turned to lean back against the counter. Brennan lightly traced his bottom lip with her tongue while her wet and soap covered hand traveled up his back to the back of his head. Pulling him down slightly and they both intensified the kiss. Booth bent slightly and molded his hands to her firm butt and squeezed slightly while also pulling her closer to his body. She moaned in the back of her throat and that sent a shiver down his spine. Lifting her up quickly, she wrapped her legs around his waist as he made his way to her bedroom, stopping him; she pointed him instead to the living room. Booth was perplexed but acquiesced, she was driving him crazy with her soft, wet kisses and the feeling of her pressed up against the bulge in his pants was causing him to become more aggressive against her mouth and neck as they walked.

She directed him to the small loveseat and slid down his body, pushing him to a seated position. Bereft without her body warmth against his, he started to reach for her when she swatted his hand aside. Whispering in his ear, "Just sit back Booth, enjoy this", she finished the order by lightly tracing his ear with her tongue, before she took his bottom lobe into her mouth and bit lightly, causing him to groan again. He reached for her and like before she swatted his hands away. Pushing his legs apart, she knelt before him and looked him in the eye before slowly reaching up and unbraiding her now mostly dry hair, his eyes watched the dark locks fall across her shoulders and his fingers ached to feel the silken strands sluice between them. She shook her hair out slightly and reached for the hem of his t-shirt, pulling it up and over his head quickly.

Brennan leaned against him again, this time pushing his knees even further apart so she could kneel slightly on the loveseat as she started lightly planting kisses on his forehead, down his jaw line to his neck. Moving back to his mouth carefully, never fully letting him return the kiss, she teased and tormented him with each stroke of her hand on his arm, or chest as well as with each moist exhalation on his heated skin. Moving from his mouth to his neck, she bit slightly and smiled against his neck when he arched his back and groaned, she moved to the other side and was delighted when with her repeated bite, his reaction repeated as well. Brennan slowly peppered his broad chest with nips and soothed them with light kisses making her way to his left nipple which she drew slowly into her mouth. Swirling her tongue until the tight nub puckered when she bit hard causing him to throw his head back in both ecstasy and pain. Bones grinned; she knew how that felt and how the mixed feelings made it one of the most erotic sensations. Briefly suckling, she moved to the other nipple and felt him tense in anticipation of the bite, this time though she just kissed and moved down his torso pausing here and there to nip again.

Booth watched her as she dipped and moved her mouth over his chest, down his pecs and to his stomach. He so desperately wanted to pull her mouth to his and slide his fingers inside what he could only assume would be a warm, silky wet pussy and then taste her but he knew this was her show. She started to unbuckle his belt and he reached over to assist when she pushed his hand away, leaving the belt unbuckled and only unbuttoning the jeans she reached in and pulled his erection to complete attention. The pressure of the jeans and the hard on caused extreme sensitivity to the head of his dick and Bones delighted in taking advantage of that. Raking her teeth across the slit she took just the tip of his dick into her mouth and sucked hard. Bucking his hips, Booth lifted clear of the sofa and groaned, "Jesus Bones." His eyes rolled back into his head and he thought, _one more time like that I'm gonna blow my load quicker than I did the first time I got laid in high school._ Settling back down, she unzipped the zipper lower and with each pull of the zipper, she traced his now visible cock with her tongue, pleased to see that he wasn't wearing anything under the jeans, which when she thought about it was how she preferred her men. Less obstruction in her opinion, she continued to lick and suck gently on his cock, swirling her tongue over his head and down the shaft as she pried the jeans down his hips enough to give her full access to him.

Booth was able to help her just enough by pushing the jeans down and she stopped sucking his dick long enough to help him pull them off, completely naked and exposed his cock trembling like a divining rod seeking her mouth rather than water, she rocked back on her heels and caught his eye. When she was sure he was concentrating on her face, she carefully pulled her tank top off and draped it over his shoulder, pulling it slowly down as she rose towards him again, the rough cotton material in direct contrast to the heightened sensitivity of his skin, he wondered what she would do next when she knelt again on the loveseat between his legs, his dick now seeking another target, the juncture of her thighs. She pushed up against him and then rose higher, placing her breasts against his mouth. Booth drew one nipple into his mouth through the silky material of the bra she still wore and sucked gently, causing her to arch her back as she threaded her fingers through his hair and pulled his mouth tighter against her breast. Moving his mouth over to the other nipple, she allowed him just a brief tease before she stood up quickly and stepped back.

Booth's eyes, half lidded with passion opened wider, wondering what she had in store next. She turned around and slowly began pushing her capri's off, one hip at a time and then bent completely over in half as she pushed them to the floor. He felt his balls constrict and his cock got even harder, this was the view that he wanted to see so often on their morning jogs, instead of being a block away he was less than two feet away, seeing her thin silk g string, sopping wet with her desire, he sniffed the air and reached out for her. For her part Brennan had watched him between her legs and when he reached for her, she backed up slightly and rolled her hips directly in his face, turning to face him, she knew that what she was doing was sheer torture for him and she found she was genuinely enjoying the immense feeling of control it brought her. Swaying slightly from side to side, she began to recreate the lap dance that Strawberry had performed for him on one of their cases, being careful to avoid his pulsating cock the entire time. He watched, mesmerized as she moved her hips as graceful as any dancer, he concentrated on the small dark patch of hair between her thighs and swallowed the lump in his throat when she took her own breasts in her hands and squeezed.

He thought time had stood still when she abruptly stopped her burlesque show and undid the straps on her bra, freeing her breasts to his hungry gaze, she continued to torture him though by sliding out of the abbreviated panties with exquisite slowness until naked as the day she was born she stood before him. Booth swallowed hard again and stuttered, "Are you trying to kill me Bones?" She smiled a cat like smile before dropping to her knees and taking his cock all the way into her warm mouth, he sat up off the couch again at the sensation of being swallowed whole and groaned, his head thrown back on the seat. "Oh God Bones." He managed to say before she began to move her mouth up and down, cupping his balls and gently pressing them up against the base of his cock as she squeezed them with increasing pressure each time she deep throated him. She smiled against his dick when she felt the tell tale tense of impending release and took her mouth off of him altogether. Moving instead back up his stomach, to his chest, she kissed her way back to his mouth and kissed him hard, her taste mingled with his as their tongues dueled.

Brennan slid a finger into her own wet pussy and then into his mouth allowing him to suck her taste off her finger before taking his hand and guiding it to her slick folds. Booth inserted one, then two fingers, stroking her dripping wet inner wall and pressing his palm against her clit, causing her to close her eyes and sigh. Tasting her on his own fingers, while they kissed he broke apart long enough to whisper, "Now what? More torture?"

Without saying a word, Brennan turned around and slid carefully down his chest and ever so gently impaled herself on his dick. She pressed her palms onto the tops of his hard thighs and began to slowly slide up and down, almost allowing him to fully leave the warmth of her body before she would press back down. Booth thought that he had died and gone to heaven, he was getting fucked by the woman he loved in an incredible sensual and new way, he was able to feel every muscle contract as she moved and with him sitting down and her back to him he was plunging deeper and deeper each time she lowered her hips. Unfortunately the torture was taking its toll and he wanted to explode inside her, hopefully bringing her to orgasm as well. Taking matters into his own hands, he reached around her and took her breasts in his hands, squeezing her nipples roughly, he pulled her back against his chest, moving one hand to her stomach and then to where they were connected. He pulled her head back and forced her to arch back to kiss him at the same time he began to stroke the outer folds of her pussy all the while she was still astride his cock. Moving his hand down to her hip, he began to help her move harder and faster and kept kissing her, his tongue devouring hers, which he knew was going to deprive her of oxygen causing her to gasp against his open mouth.

When he felt her own body began to tremble and he knew he couldn't hold out any longer, he broke of the kiss and pushed her roughly forward, putting his dick at a different angle and grabbed her hips. Two quick thrusts and he arched to bury himself into her, his orgasm pumping himself into her in hot quick bursts. She joined him and moaned, "Oh Booth, oh yes, OH yes," as she felt her own release, her body absorbing his thrusts and still moving slightly to continue the gentle friction that only heightened the end of an orgasm. When both their bodies were spent, he pulled her back against him, still buried deep inside her and pressed his sweat soaked head to her back, "My God Bones, that was…holy hell, where did you learn to do that?"

She was barely able to answer her as she still felt the lingering tremors racing through her body, "Oh, I saw it on a documentary once." She answered flippantly. Laughing slightly, he stroked her stomach contentedly and kissed her shoulder softly. She reluctantly moved from her perch and he scooted over so she could sit next to him. Pulling a blanket off the top of a stack of them next to the loveseat, he covered the two of them, and entwined her fingers in his.

"Why did you think I would need to be drunk to enjoy something like that Temperance?" He asked suddenly. Of all the answers he would have expected, nothing infuriated him or embarrassed him more than the one she gave in her reply…


	44. Chapter 40

_Thank you all for the wonderful reviews thus far. I was just looking over this story and realized that it's taken me almost a year to complete it and for that I apologize, I'm usually much more diligent. However, your patience and mine will soon be rewarded. Again thank you Constant Reader this story has taken a radical twist from my original idea and yet you've stayed on the ride. _

_MKAngelus_

BOAB CH40

"Because people who need an emotional connection to satisfy biological urges simply find it easier to repress that need for connection when they are inebriated." She said pulling the blanket aside and reaching for her capri's. Booth watched her pull them on and said nothing at first. He simply stared at her, unsure of how exactly to form a response. This whole time he thought he was getting somewhere with her, when in fact he wasn't doing anything more for her than serving a basic need.

"That's the most asinine thing I've ever heard you say Temperance." He finally managed to form a coherent sentence. Standing up, he grabbed his own jeans and yanked them on, roughly pulling his tee shirt on as well. "I've heard you degrade people and things you don't agree with and use your 'science' over emotion speech more times than I can count, but I've never actually thought you were full of #### until now." He raked his hands through his hair and looked at her; her eyes were wide and slightly confused. She'd never heard Booth talk to anyone like this, let alone her and she was completely out of her element, in fact she was still euphoric from their mutual pleasure and was having a hard time following him.

"You may be able to explain your own urges and actions with your science and you may feel like that other people should live within that explanation as well, but that's not the way life is. Not everything can be broken down to its quantum base level just because you want it to. People have sex for a lot of reasons, you yourself have sex to fulfill your own 'biological urges', and yet you're always so hurt when someone denies you that ability, Michael, the deep sea diver, gay Jason, all of them wanted more than you were willing to give and who got hurt? You did. I saw you after they dumped you, you were emotional and hurt. So, you may sit up on your lab pedestal and you may be able to convince yourself that an emotional connection is unnecessary for a 'coital union', far be it for me to deny your belief, but as a person that has emotions let me just say that doesn't make you any better than those of us who do seek the connection. In fact, it makes you a little less, because at least we've acknowledged that need and aren't trying to repress it."

Shocked at what he was saying but too far gone to stop, he sat on the edge of the couch and pulled his boots on, then standing he delivered the final fatal blow of the day, "In fact giving in to biological urges without the connection makes you no better than a prostitute." He noticed her nostrils flare and her eyes instantly fill with unshed tears and although his head was telling him to gather her in his arms and apologize his heart was telling him to leave now before he inflicted anymore damage. "As a matter of fact I do need the emotional connection," he said as he pulled open the front door, turning back to look at her one last time he concluded, "at least I used to."

~On the other side of town~

Clay reached inside the bottom bale and fished his hand around, "I know it's in here," he said softly to himself, reaching in deeper. Putting his hands on the action figure he sought he started to rise when he heard Jayson's voice raised as he entered the barn.

"I d d don't underst st stand why y y you wouldn't j j j just tell me Stefanie."

"Jayson, Stella and I did what we thought was best for everyone. You were the big man on the circuit; you didn't need the added distraction."

"D d distraction? I w w went t t to bed one night happily m m married t t to the w w woman of my d d dreams and woke up with a n n note on my p p pillow telling me g g goodbye. Y y you don't think that w w was a d d distraction?"

"I'm sorry Jayson," she started to reply.

"S s sorry? Don't give me s s sorry Stefanie, I l l looked everywhere for y you, I had p p people looking in Europe even, y y you disappeared without a t t trace, you d d didn't even tell y y your mom where you w w were. Why? What d d did I do that was s so b b bad that you would leave me?"

Clay sat silently behind the hay bales stacked in front of an unused stall, at first he was going to pop up and say hello until he heard the sadness in his aunt's voice. He knew that this was a conversation that he was not supposed to hear and he really wished he could be anywhere else.

"You didn't do anything wrong Jayson. I just wasn't ready to be the wife and woman that you needed I felt like I was going to hold you back, so I left. I didn't want to be the reason you didn't make it to the top."

Jayson shook his head and sighed, smiled and looked up at the beams crisscrossing the ceiling of the barn and said, "Y y you were the reason I was going t t to make it t t to the top Stefanie."

"What about Stella then? If you loved me so much and I was the woman of your dreams why did you hook up with my sister?"

"I got t t together w w with Stella b b because I was lonely Stefanie and s s she looked like you and I c c could pretend for a little while that she w w was you and I needed that. You k k killed me when y y you left me Stefanie, I was l l lost and she tried to f f find me. I only stayed with her f f for a month and by then s s she and I both knew that she wasn't y y you and wouldn't be. She left and I've been on the circuit ever s s since. Why Stefanie, why didn't y y you tell me that Clay and Jax were my s s son's? Why did I have t t to hear it from D d dottie?"

Clay dropped his toy and leaned against the hay. Jayson was his father? His aunt was married to him? He was so confused and lost part of him wanted to run over and throw himself into his father's arms, having never had a dad before he was flush with an unfamiliar emotion, but the other part of him wanted to lash out in anger, anger at his grandma and his aunt and even his mom and brother. He was alone, he was targeted by other kids both because of his disability and his family life and now he knew that it was mostly preventable by the people that were supposed to care about him the most. Tears welled up in his eyes and he wiped them away viciously and waited to hear the adults finish speaking.

"Stella didn't want to tell you Jayson, I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you after Jax died and I'm sorry that my mom had to be the one to tell you about Clay now. I promised my sister that I wouldn't seek you out and I wouldn't tell you. I'm sorry Jayson."

He took his hat off and wiped his brow and reset his hat, "I'm g g going to g g go to the bonfire t t tonight and then stay for the opening ceremonies and then I'm g g going to g g go and take c c care of some business and then I'll c c come back, b b but before I do, I'm telling that b b boy that I'm his father and I'm going to s s see him again and if I have t t to get a lawyer I will." He turned and left the barn and Clay heard the loud roar of his engine as he pulled out of the parking lot. He crept around the edge of the hay and peeked to see if his aunt was still there. She was holding her arms clutched to her middle, tears evident on her cheeks as she watched him leave. Clay was still mad, but even a boy his age could see that his aunt was dealing with demons far greater than she was letting on. He watched her for a minute more and then she walked out of the barn. He made his way to the large double door and watched her get in her own car. It was at that moment that Clay made up his mind, he wasn't going to let Jayson leave. He was going with his dad no matter what.

Clay left the barn and whistled for Leo, trotting up the big dog was covered in mud and pond scum, "Come on Leo, you and me and Scoot are getting out of here." He and his faithful companion went into his room and he packed a small bag, grabbing a picture of his mom and brother and his favorite lariat, pulling on a heavy jacket and reaching for his leather gloves, he looked around his room and tried to imagine what it would be like to live somewhere else. Leo whined at the bag and walked around it, sniffing the musty canvas. Clay reached over and picked up the bag and absentmindedly scratched his dogs' ears. "Let's go Leo; we've got a long way to go."


	45. Chapter 41

BOAB CH41

Leo and Clay made their way to the barn, going straight for Scoot's stall. Clay had put his bag down and was reaching for his saddle when his grandma poked her head inside the open door, "Clayton? You in here boy?" She flipped the large overhead lights on and he reluctantly came around from behind Scoot. "What are you doing? You know it's too late to go riding tonight, maybe tomorrow you can ride for awhile, now come on inside, suppers almost ready."

Clay sighed, he wanted to get going, he vaguely knew where the bonfire site was and even though it wasn't until tomorrow evening, he was hoping that he could get up there before anyone else arrived making it that much harder to turn him away when they did show up. Sighing heavily and realizing that he was going to have to plan his get a way a little better and knowing that arguing with Grandma was the wrong thing to do, he put the saddle back on the rail and stuffed his jacket and gloves on top of the canvas bag. Patting Scoot on the nose, he and Leo left his stall and walked towards his grandma and into the motel itself. For his part Scoot continued to munch contentedly on his grain and snorted softly.

Booth pulled out of the long driveway leading to Brennan's cabin and swore loudly to himself. The prostitute comment was well over the line, but dammit didn't she see what they had was beyond sex? He loved her and he knew that underneath all her bluster she loved him too. She was just unwilling to accept it and allow herself to feel it again. He knew about her troubled past and he had experienced more than his fair share of heartbreak too, the difference was he was willing to take the steps necessary to move on. Whereas she was still too unsure, too wary to let herself just feel. He reached down for his cell phone and started to dial her number, but then decided that he'd just take the rest of the drive back to his no tell motel and then call her. By then he figured he'd be about as calm as he was going to get.

Brennan stood stock still, the echo of his words bouncing around her mind. She couldn't believe that he had said something so unbelievably harsh to her. Booth had always been the one that protected her, he was the one whose arms she felt the safest in, he was the one that listened to her fears and concerns without judgment and she was physically sick from the feeling his words had invoked.

She sat down on the couch closest to the door and listened as his rat trap truck trundled down the driveway, she wasn't sure if she was listening for him to stop or keep going. She thought back over what she'd said about emotional connections and tried to match his own comments to them, and her rational mind was able to piece together what he was trying to say. It had hurt that he had compared her to a prostitute, although objectively he wasn't that far off when it came to non emotional coital connections. Part of her was actually quite proud that even in an agitated state he was able to make such a comparison. Granted it was a very small part of her, but nonetheless. Brennan hugged her knees to her chest and thought about what he said about her past lovers and their ultimate rejection of her. That was part of the reason why she was so reluctant to even pretend an emotional connection, she'd fallen hard for Sully and he'd left. She had thought that she loved Michael and he turned out to be a traitor, but truth be told the others were just a means to an end. In her mind it was black and white, you allow yourself to become emotionally attached to someone and they left. She didn't want Booth to leave her, so she kept him at arm's length. Admittedly sex with Booth was a bad idea, pretending that they were two other people just to have the sex was worse, however it was an idea that kept creeping into her mind throughout the days and nights, she didn't believe in wishing on falling stars or throwing coins in a fountain, but she had sent out some innocent requests to the universe at large over the past couple of weeks. Mainly that she be allowed to wake up in his arms again, feel his warmth and protection at her back, see his sleepy grin in the morning.

Brennan stood and walked to where he phone was plugged in, she wanted to call Angela and ask what to do, and looking at the clock she realized it was too late to bother her but she wanted to talk to someone. As much as she liked Carrie, Danni and Stefanie she wasn't able to let them know about her and Booth so nothing that she explained would make any sense. The one person she wanted to talk to most about her confusion was the one that had caused it.

Booth pulled into the parking lot and parked his truck over by his trailer, he went first to the barn and made sure that Gunn was still packed for the night, he also made a moment for Scoot and then closing the main doors went to his room. On his way there, he was surprised to see Clay and Leo sitting out in front of his door. "Hey buddy! How you doing?" He greeted the boy with a smile and tug on his hat.

Clay looked up and Booth could immediately see that he looked like he was miserable. "What's a matter Clay? You feeling okay?"

"I'm okay Tony, I just had a bad day I guess and I'm a little tired."

"You do some riding or something today?"

"No." He paused. "Tony, can I ask you a question?"

Tony sat down next to him and scratched Leo behind the ears, "Sure Clay, you can ask anything you want."

Clay started to speak a couple of times, changing his words carefully. Rather than jumping in and pretending to know what he was going to ask before he did, Tony let him take his time. He knew that for a young boy to have to take that many runs at something before completing it whatever he had to say must be important. He thought maybe he was working up the nerve to ask him about what he should do about Patience, so when he was finally able to speak it was a complete shock.

"If you've waited your whole life for something to happen and then it finally did, would it be alright if you gave up everything else that you had to hold onto it?" It was the most mature thing he'd ever heard come out of a boy Clay's age. At the moment that he began to answer the question, his phone vibrated and he glanced down to see that it was Bones. _Great_, he groaned inwardly, but felt that Clay needed him more. "Well Clay, I think that it would have to depend on what it was, like for instance, if all you ever thought of was…uhhh…chocolate flavored twinkies and then they made them would it be alright if you never ate another oreo in favor of the twinky? Then yes, it would be okay." He grinned at the small smile that crossed the too serious face of the boy in front of him. "Maybe you should give me a little better idea what you were talking about?"

Clay thought about what Tony was saying, and although he really liked the Canadian Cowboy, in fact he was the closest thing to a 'dad' that he'd had even in the short time that he'd been there, he just knew he couldn't tell him what he was planning to do, he would most likely talk him out of it, or tell his grandma. Clay just shrugged and said, "I guess it's not that important anyway." He grabbed Leo who stood, pulling the boy up with him and said, "Are you going to go to the bonfire tomorrow?"

Tony stood up as well, knowing full well that he wasn't going to get the whole story out of him, but respecting him enough to not press for any more details he answered him, "Yes, I'm going, should be fun. I haven't been to one in years." He turned to unlock his door, "Are you going to opening ceremonies on Sunday?"

Clay nodded and said, "Yeah, grandma takes me every year. Hey, um do you know where the bonfire is?" Clay tried to be as nonchalant as he could.

"Yeah, I mean I think so, just head down the highway about 18 miles and then turn at the junction road. I guess there's a little parking area right before where the road ends and then it's about 4 miles up into the hills, why?"

Clay grinned and tipped his cap, "I just didn't want you to get lost. G'night." He and Leo walked away and Booth raised an eyebrow, "Okay, g'night Clay, see you Sunday." Clay raised his hand in farewell and Booth walked into his room. Checking the phone he saw that there was no voicemail.

Brennan listened as his voicemail came on and hung up. She quickly made up her mind, changing quickly into a pair of jeans and throwing a hoody over her tank top, she locked up and jumped into her truck. She needed to talk to someone and that someone was him.


	46. Chapter 42

BOAB CH42

Booth went into the tiny motel bathroom and turned the shower head on, waiting for the ancient water heater to kick in and bring the water to hot, he shut the door and flipped his hat onto the bed. Sitting on the edge, he pulled one boot off and then the other before standing and removing his jeans and shirt. Padding back to the bathroom in his socks and boxer briefs he caught a glimpse of himself in the large mirror outside the bathroom. He stopped and looked, flexing slightly he sucked in his gut and then pooched it out a little. Giggling at himself, he stripped completely and went into the shower and stood in the tub, allowing the hot water to beat down on his back. Leaning on the back wall, he thought again about his last words to Bones and wondered if she was going to try and call him again. He also thought about whether he should call her or not, or if there was any way for him to apologize without taking back what he'd said. Not that he'd meant to be that harsh, but he was tired of tip toeing around the subject. He'd told her how he felt, he'd shown her all of his cards, but she was still pushing him away. Standing up straight, he crossed his arms over his chest and realized he was having an epiphany. No matter how hard he tried or how much he showed her, she was never going to come around and she was never going to love him the way he wanted to be loved.

Exiting the shower Booth toweled off his hair and flopped down naked on the bed. He reached over and looked at his phone, but there were no more calls. Sighing, he started to dial her number but quickly hung up; he had no idea what he would say. He was half tempted to get dressed and drive back over there, sitting up, he scooted to the edge of the bed and was reaching for his jeans when he stopped and looked up at the ceiling. Dropping the jeans back onto the floor he said aloud, "Let it go man, just let it go. You can talk to her tomorrow, tonight just let it go." Booth went to the rickety dresser and pulled out clean boxers, after pulling them on he turned off the bedside lamp and pulled the scratchy comforter over himself and tried to force himself to sleep.

Brennan sat in the still silent truck and stared at the phone. She tried starting the engine a couple of different times, but each time she started it, she turned it off and just sat and stared. She wanted so desperately to go see him and talk to him and figure out what to do, but she just couldn't make herself do it. She put her hands on the steering wheel and lowered head to rest on them. Completely out of her element she felt so many conflicting emotions swirled around in her mind and body that she wasn't sure where to even start figuring them out. Brennan had never been an emotional person, she shut her emotions off when her parents and brother left her, but since meeting Angela so many years ago and then Booth; she had tried to emulate their emotions without really understanding the ramifications of the feelings themselves. Shivering slightly in the cold cab of the truck, she decided that maybe it wasn't a good idea to talk to him tonight after all. She didn't know what to say and she wanted to think about her own conflictions first. Closing the door behind her, she went inside the cabin and began to pick up the blanket they'd lain on, folding it absently she dropped it back onto the chair and then went to the kitchen. The half washed dishes mocked her by reminding her of what had happened in here. She pulled the plug on the now ice cold water and then started to fill it back up. Reaching over, she turned on the radio and listened mindlessly while the sink filled.

"_And now, the newest release from everyone's favorite trio, _"the DJ announced.A slow, haunting melody began to play and something about it made Brennan concentrate on the song itself, _"__The first time that I saw you looking like you did we were young, we were restless just two clueless kids but if I knew then what I know now I'd fall in love you're on a bus in Chicago three rows to the left you know my heart is reaching for you but we never even met if I knew then what I know now I'd fall in love 'cause love only comes once in a while and knocks on your door and throws you a smile and takes every breath leaves every scar speaks through your soul and sings to your heart…"_

Warm tears leaked from her eyes and made silent paths down her cheeks as she listened to the singer as he lamented his lost love, every word pierced her in a way that she never experienced before. Did she love him? Was that why this song was tearing her to pieces, making her think that she'd lost a chance she didn't even know she had been given?

Brennan sighed and turned the radio off; leaving the dishes again she went into her bedroom and pulled off the hoody. She changed into a pair of sweat pants and crawled into her bed, reaching into the nightstand drawer she pulled out the one thing she hadn't worn the whole time she was there, and held it tightly in her hand. Feeling another round of tears seep out, she tucked one arm under the pillow and turned over to her side, clenching the Cocky belt buckle in her hand she fell into a restless sleep.

All around the small town, people were drifting off to sleep, some to the sounds of crickets, lowing cattle and shuffling horses, others held tightly in the arms of their loved ones, but for a select few, the dark Wyoming sky was not an inky velvet blanket, covering them and protecting them, instead it was an impenetrable web holding deceit and lies and secrets tightly in its far reaching depths, pressing its weight down on the lonely and confused denizens who were counting the hours until they once again had to face the world and all their fears in the bright light of morning.

*filler chapter* My muse is trying to find a way to segue to the end, but so far is encountering major resistance…thanks for sticking with it so far! MKAngelus


	47. Chapter 43

BOAB CH43

The sun peeked over the valley slowly, turning the green and gold fields to pinks and reds as its rays touched down. The rays mixed with the early morning fog rising from the river and creeks gave the mist a spectral appearance, slowly birds began their morning song and the cows and livestock all started making their way to various feed troughs, eager to start the day. The animals weren't the only ones wanting to start things; people all over the valley were looking forward to the various adventures the day would bring. From the cowboys and cowgirls that had already driven in and the ones still arriving preparing for the rodeo to the kids and parents getting the floats ready for the next day's parade. The bonfire group, including Booth and Brennan were also up and starting their day. Preoccupied with his own worries as he loaded Gunn into the trailer, Booth never noticed that Scoot wasn't in his stall and he hadn't had his morning crotch greeting from Leo.

Clay had set his alarm to go off just before sunrise, he knew that his grandma wouldn't miss him until mid morning so he had plenty of time to get out and get where he needed to be. Thanks to Tony's minimal directions and his own sense of where the bonfire was held he thought he'd be there in plenty of time to set up and watch the rest of them arrive. Once it was dark there was no way they would make him leave, it wouldn't be safe to travel down the mountain with drunken adults on horseback. If nothing else his Aunt would insist on waiting until morning, and by then he had hoped to have Jayson convinced to take him along when he left. Clay put on his heavy jacket, boots and grabbed the compass he'd pilfered from his grandpa's soldier box and calling Leo, the two of them slunk around the back of the hotel and approached the barn from the rear. There were no lights on except for the yellow sodium spotlight that would go out when the sun was high enough, so he knew that no one had seen him go inside. Scoot snorted slightly and stamped his feet, his breath fogging out around the two of them as Clay whispered, "Come on Scoot, I know it's early but we have to get going." Reluctantly, Scoot let him put first the blanket on, then his saddle. Although his leg was twisted with the burn scars, giving him the appearance that he was a slight young man, Clay was actually quite strong and although saddling his pony in the semi-dark was awkward, it wasn't impossible. Once he had the cinch tightened, he strapped the bag he'd left in the stall the previous night and roped it to the back of his saddle.

He looped one of his handmade ropes around the saddle horn, and grabbed the half finished one so he'd have something to do while he waited for the rest of them to arrive and then opening the outside rear door, he led his pony over to a hitching block that he could climb on, and from there slid into the saddle. Leo whined and looked back to the motel; in his doggy mind he knew that this wasn't right. He loved going on rides with his boy, but for some reason this time things just didn't feel right. "Stop it Leo, let's go boy," Clay said with a harder edge in his voice than normal, Leo sensed it and whined once more before putting his nose down and starting to trot after Clay and Scoot.

Booth heard the chirping of the alarm clock and looked blearily at it. Rubbing his eyes and his stubble covered jaw he stretched under the covers and then reached over and turned it off. The sun had risen enough that it was stretching light around the blinds and curtains in the window, allowing him to see enough of the room that turning on the light wasn't necessary. Booth went to the small sink outside the bathroom and filled the basin with cold water, splashing it on his face; he turned it to warm and began to shave. Taking a quick shower, he grabbed his small bag and checked to see that it still had what he thought it would need. A gun and spare clip were nestled under the first aid kit, a flashlight and GPS satellite radio the FBI insisted he carry made up the rest of the contents. He dressed quickly, comfortable jeans, riding boots and a long sleeved Henley, an open flannel over the top of that and a heavy jean jacket. He'd remove most of it by the time the sun was mid sky, but he knew mornings and nights in the mountains were cold. He pulled his belt through the loops and slid his buckle closed, sliding his other gun into the shoulder holster, he grabbed his hat and bag and closed the door behind him. Standing just outside the door he stretched again and headed to the truck. He would load Gunn up, drive to the store for the things he said he'd bring and then head out.

As he loaded Gunn into the trailer, he thought about what he would say to Bones when he saw her. An apology for sure, but he wonder whether he would have the courage to tell her that he was done begging. Shaking his head, he glanced around the barn, looking for a spare rope; he saw one of Clay's braided ropes sitting on a stack of hay bales and grabbed that, throwing it in the trailer with an indignant Gunn who thought he should have had some breakfast before being loaded up. Stamping and snorting, he tossed his head as much as the trailer would allow when Booth tried to stroke his nose, "You'll get some grain when I unload you, you big baby." Booth muttered under his breath. He'd never been an animal lover, aside from dogs, but the horse had grown on him and he briefly wondered what Parker would think about him bringing him back when this whole thing was over. Shaking his head he said to himself, _and where are you going to keep him Booth? In the bathroom?_ Booth slapped his horse on the butt and earned another grunt which brought a smile to his face, _alright let's get this show on the road,_ he thought closing up the gate to the trailer and climbing into the cab of the ancient truck.

"Come on, answer," Carrie chanted as she hustled around her apartment, packing up things and holding the phone to her ear.

"Lo?" The barely awake voice on the other end finally answered.

"Danni? Are you awake?" Carrie asked impatiently.

"I am now Carrie, what the hell do you want? Is it morning yet?" she yawned most of her response and sat up in the bed.

"Its 7:30 Danni and I want to know if you are awake and ready to go? I'm gonna grab Dirk's dual trailer and come on over to get you and that bag of bones you call a horse. I thought that would be better than you trying to load him up in your car. Plus, we need to get to the store and get some things, how about donuts before the ride? Stefanie is bringing her moms' serving thermos so we'll have hot coffee before we all start off, should we grab donuts too?" She kept talking as she packed and Danni let her words roll around in her head, barely grasping what her best friend was saying. She was trying to figure out why her mouth tasted like cotton and why fireworks were exploding behind her eyes. She didn't think she'd drunk too much last night at the 'horn, but apparently she had. Either that or she was going soft.

Not realizing that Carrie had paused for her response Danni was shocked awake when the phone exploded in her hand, "DANNI WAKE UP!" Carrie yelled.

"Criminy Carrie, I'm awake, I'm awake." Danni grumbled as she stretched and setting the phone to hands free, she placed it on the stand, "Now what were you babbling about?"

"Do you think we should get donuts for the rest of the gang before we start the ride?" Carrie said her teeth clenched, she was the only one that ever seemed to be proactive where the bonfire went, and next to the rodeo itself, was the biggest event of the season in her opinion was often irritated when everyone else didn't feel the same sense of preparedness and urgency she did.

"Yes, donuts please get donuts and aspirin." Danni yawned again, "Did you say you were gonna come get me?" She pushed the comforter down and bent over to touch her toes and tried to wake up. "Yeah, I'll be there in an hour, be ready to go, I want to get to the parking area before everyone else so we can set up the coffee and stuff." Carrie said.

"Alright, an hour, I'll be ready." Danni said as she switched off the phone and padded to the shower. Shaking her head at Carrie, she loved her like a sister and was used to her behavior when events were being planned, but she couldn't get that excited over the bonfires anymore. More often than not, they flirted too much, drank too much and were uncomfortable sleeping on the ground, and usually sleeping alone. When she'd been younger, there was always a willing cowboy around to share some sleeping bag time with, and maybe it had never been the one cowboy she thought she wanted, but anymore it was just too much trouble and she was tired of the endless disconnect.

Carrie finished her remaining packing and called Dirk. "Good morning sister dear, in a panic already?" He said before she had a chance to speak. He stepped around the bar in his kitchen and raised the steaming cup of coffee to his lips. Looking into the bedroom from his vantage point, he saw the slender ankle of the buckle bunny he'd gone home with and smiled against the brim. She'd been fun, although a little boring at first. "Dirk, can I come hitch up the dual trailer? That way Danni and I can get our horses there together."

"Sure C, I'll bring it around front, you using the Dodge?"

"Yeah, why?"

"I'll need to change out the hitch then, I've got something to take care of here first, so give me a half hour or so okay? You got everything else you need?" He set the cup down and taking the phone walked into his bedroom. The girl was spread eagled on his bed, a tiny t-shirt the only thing she had on. Wondering what her name was again, he decided it didn't matter anyway, in a few minutes she would be groaning his name anyway.

"I'm covered, thanks Dirk." Carrie said and closed the phone.

"You're welcome sis," he said to the already disconnected line, as he pulled his sweats off and climbed into the bed, next to the sleeping girl. Running his hand over her spine and under the shirt, she shivered at his rough palm and turned towards him. "G'morning," she said sleepily, smiling and he grinned back before leaning down to capture her smile with his own mouth.

Stefanie stepped out of her shower and bent over to wrap her long blonde hair in a towel. She still had to grab the coffee urn from her mom's place and get some brewed before the drive to the parking area and she wanted to make one more attempt to dissuade Jayson from coming along. He'd offered to ride with her, sharing his extra large trailer but she'd told him she'd rather not. She knew that he was sincere in his offer, but being around him now, especially after everything that had happened in the past was just too hard. "You leave me any hot water pretty lady?" Jake's lazy drawl drifted into the steam filled shower.

Stefanie smiled and grimaced at the same time. Although she and Jake had spent the night together before, he wanted so much more than she was willing to give. She liked him and under any other circumstances, he would be perfect for her, but she was just not ready to love again. Jake knew that and accepted what he could get, but she wondered how long that would last and whether or not it was time to start making plans to move on. She loved being here, her friends and her job, her nephew for sure; however forces outside her control were starting to make the open road look much more appealing. Clay was old enough to get along without her, her mom was still capable of watching him. Slowly drying her hair with the towel she thought about what Jayson had said about Clay, so she knew that running wasn't an option right now. Her thoughts broken by Jake's hand around her slender waist, she leaned back against his rock hard chest and felt his arousal. "Wanna see if there's enough hot water for two?" He whispered against her neck, his hands rising to cup her breasts. "Not now Jake, I've got some things to take care of before we meet up, I'm sorry hon." She said as she stepped out of his embrace and kissed his cheek before turning into the bedroom to get dressed. Jake watched her leave and sighed, he knew that she didn't feel for him like he felt for her, and as much as he wanted these sleepovers to be more frequent, he was just glad that she'd agreed to be with him last night. No one had ever made him feel like Stefanie did and although he wanted the full package; he would wait as long as it took to convince her that they would be a good team. He flipped the shower on and stepped in; his mind now tripping over to what all would need to be brought. He thought that Chuck and Jesse were going to be bringing up the majority of the wood and he was responsible for the BBQ equipment, Jayson had said he would bring one of his pack horses along too, and he thought that Roxie was bringing one of her horses as well, so there should be plenty of extra space. While he showered, Jake thought about how weird it was to have Jayson back in the picture, he hadn't seen him in years and although he was a little older and more experienced, he was still the same shy, silent type that he'd been as a kid when they all had grown up together. He wondered briefly too if Jayson was here for Stefanie.

Stephanie got dressed and left a note for Jake that she'd see him at the parking area, loading her horse up and grabbing her stuff, she headed towards the hotel to get the coffee going. She started the truck and pressed the CD button as she drove towards town, Jason Aldean's haunting voice caressing a slow song off of his latest album drifting through the speakers made all of her emotions rise to the surface and realizing she wasn't in the mood, she quickly turned it off and just listened to the hum of the tires on the road.

Brennan had risen with the sun and gone out to the barn to get her horses fed and taken care of for the day. She'd decided that she would ride Wrath and bring Charcoal for packing. Fury would be fine alone for a couple of days; she'd turn him out into the open pasture and make sure he had plenty of grain. Pulling the truck around, she quickly loaded both horses up and then went inside to make sure she had everything else she thought she'd need. Warm clothes, a first aid kit and toilet paper she was ready to go when her phone rang. "Hello?" She asked distractedly, grabbing the rest of her stuff and heading through the open door.

"Roxie? Listen, it's Carrie, I'm going to swing by and pick up Danni and then we're heading up there, I was wondering, do you have any extra blankets you could bring?"

Roxie did a mental calculation of what she had herself and what she'd seen in the barn, "Yes, I have a few I can grab, I still have to go to the store myself, so it'll be at least an hour before I'm up there, is there anything else I should grab?" The two of them went over on what was each of their lists and decided that they would have it all covered. All of the people going were going to be bringing a healthy list of things along, so they would be fine. Once it was all said and done, there would be about 30 people and probably half again as many horses up there, not to mention the dogs that would be coming. "Did you hear if Mal was coming?" Roxie asked as she shut and locked her door.

"I don't know, he mentioned something about it, I guess we'll see once we get there, why? You hoping he does?" There was a wicked grin in Carrie's voice as she asked her new friend about the possibility of seeing the handsome doctor again.

"No Carrie, I think Mal is all about Cordelia right now, I was just wondering if he was going to come or not."

"What about Tony? You excited that he's coming too?" Carrie asked mischievously. If there was a cowboy she'd like to wrap her legs around it would be the tall, dark newbie.

There was silence on the other end of the phone as Roxie thought about it, she'd like to see Booth but knew that it was going to be incredibly awkward. She considered herself a good actress though, so wasn't worried about interacting with him she'd pretended to be in love with him in the past, so it shouldn't be that hard to pretend that she wasn't. She just hoped that he'd be able to pretend as well.

"Tony isn't mine Carrie, I mean he's cute and I like him, but I'm not sure that he's all that interested in anything beyond a night you know?" She started the engine to her truck and began to pull out, "Okay Rox, whatever you say, see you soon." Carrie said as she hung up. Shaking her head she rolled her eyes, _how come no one could ever see what she saw?_ She wondered to herself. Grabbing the last of her stuff, she started the Dodge truck she and Dirk co-owned and headed over to his house, wondering if the little wench she seen him go home with last night was gone.

Jesse was checking over the barrels making sure the ropes were all tight when his phone rang, "Yeah." He barked into the receiver.

"Jesse, how's the delivery coming?" The silky smooth voice on the other end raised the hair on the back of his neck just like it always did.

"I expect them here in a few hours." He said his voice brusque. Aside from Tug bailing on everything and forcing him to scramble slightly, he was pleased to see that everything was coming together as far as this delivery was concerned. A few hiccups were manageable in his opinion, and although they hadn't had anything as bad as the body dump this time, it would still be nice for these types of transactions to roll smoother. The woman on the other end of the phone smiled against the receiver and nodded to the man standing in front of her desk, he nodded back and indicated to the two men by the door that it was time to head out. "Okay Cowboy," she purred, "as soon as I see the merchandise I'll make the transfer as per usual." The woman closed her eyes and leaned back in the expensive leather chair stretching her booted heels out towards the desk.

"Okay. Sounds good, and listen don't call me on this phone anymore." Jesse said once again wondering why she took risks like she did. "Oh Jesse, don't get upset, you'll be taken care of." She said into the phone and then hung up. Jesse looked at the phone, "Psycho bitch." He muttered. Meeting her all those months ago had seemed to be the perfect answer to the demand portion of his supply business. He, Tug and Chuck had been running various merchandise from guns to drugs to girls through the barrels for a couple of years now, but they'd all wanted to get a larger slice of the pie and her trucking company was the answer. Logging and tanker trucks rolled through their sleepy little town all the time, day and night so no one would notice one or two more traveling through. He checked on Spider as well and made sure all the gear was secure and then decided to try to get a little shut eye before the others showed up to get the truck, so climbing into the cab, he leaned the seat back and tilted his hat over his face, soon the only sounds to be heard were his snores filling the cab.

The sun continued to rise and the sky continued to brighten as everyone began their day and as their lives all started to converge on one track, no one realized just what this day would ultimately bring. Looking back over the events that unfolded, they all wondered at some point what could have been done to stop the evitable from happening, but no one wondered more than Jayson if coming home was a big mistake.


	48. Chapter 44

BOAB CH44

Carrie and Danni arrived at the rendezvous spot only shortly before Stefanie, the three of them unloaded their horses quickly and parked to indicate where the rest of the people coming should park. They'd get everyone fed and packed up, saddled up and then head up, it would take a couple of hours before everyone arrived and at least two hours to make the ride into the lower mountains where they would stop and lunch, before heading up to the bonfire location itself. Once there, with set up and preparation for the fire and the BBQ, they would sit down to eat just as the sun started to set, and the bonfire would be lit as soon as the last bit of natural light was gone. By that time, a good portion of the group would be well on their way to lit up, but would all sober again in enough time to pull out the acoustic guitars, sing and dance around the fire. It would be long into the early morning before tired out, they'd all make their way to the various tents set up and sleep off the alcohol, good food and fun they'd all set out to have.

The girls loved it, it was a lot more work as they got older and the crowd got larger, but it was still a lot of fun and they loved the attention that hosting provided. They lowered the tailgate to Stefanie's truck and laid out the breakfast items and then moved onto packing the cold items onto the lone pack horse that was there. A crunching sound on the fallen pine cones and boughs made them turn to see Roxie's big truck pulling in; Danni pointed over to where she should park and then helped her get Wrath and Charcoal out. After a quick hug good morning, the four of them set out to redistributing some of the packed items. It wasn't long before truck after truckload of people, horses and dogs began arriving. Roxie was introduced to the people she didn't know, wives and girlfriends of the cowboys and although overwhelming at first, was soon quite comfortable with everyone. Dogs were underfoot and horses stamped, snorted and whistled as they were all tied up together. The parking area was comfortable in its chaos and the shouts and laughter from the various groups, mixed well with the occasional bark from a dog, curse from a cowboy or the sound of a truck radio playing some sad country song.

Following a couple of trucks with trailers in front of him, Booth pulled into the parking lot towards the entrance and found a relatively easy parking space. Luckily, these spaces were designed with trailers in mind whether they were snow machine or horse. He grabbed his back, and his saddle and set them down as he began to back Gunn out of the trailer. Curtis rode over, Honey loaded for bear and in fact a shiny rifle slung into a scabbard along the saddle definitely giving the bear impression. "Hey man, you made it!" He said, sliding out of the saddle. Curtis came over and shook Tony's hand and then closed the trailer for him. "The girls are already here along with about 30 other people, it's pandemonium up there!" He nodded with his head towards the end of the parking lot where the trailhead began. "Well, let's go add to the mix then," Booth said as he mounted Gunn and the two of them trotted over to the rest of the group. Tying their horses up, both Tony and Curtis slipped feed bags over their noses and then wandered over to where Carrie was trying to get everyone's attention.

Standing on a tailgate and hollering wasn't doing anything more than stirring up the dogs and making her frustrated, so Carrie was incredibly relieved when Jayson who up until then had been in the shadows whistled loud and long. Everyone turned towards the piercing noise and even the dogs stopped milling about. "Well hell, if that's all it took." Carrie muttered loudly, but smiled down to the blonde cowboy; he winked and grabbed another donut before heading over to where Jake and Doug were standing. "All right y'all," Carrie started once she was sure they were all looking at her, "We've got just about everything loaded up on the pack horses, make sure that you all bring your extra canteens, we'll be heading up to the butte first, stopping there for a quick lunch and then onto the pit itself. For those of you who have never been here before, welcome, I'm Carrie and this is Danni, Stefanie and Roxie," she pointed to each of the girls and then continued, "Everyone here is on their own, we have medical supplies, and you've all contributed to the food, we're not your babysitters, if you can't hold your liquor, don't drink and if you brought a dog keep it under control, other than that, you're on your own. Any questions?"

No one had any as most of them had been before, but before they could head out Doug whistled himself and said loudly, "If you run into any problems or something comes up, let me or Chuck know we've been doing this for years and haven't had anything more than a broken arm come up, but it's better to be safe than sorry. Now, head on out!" Everyone started towards their horses and the group began to trail out, good natured teasing and laughter ringing off of the trees. Roxie and the rest of the girls were in the rear, having stayed to make sure that the trucks were secure and all the trash was put into the bear proof bins. Curtis, Jake, Tony and Jayson also stayed behind to ride with the girls. "Well hello stranger!" Danni said, causing the girls to look back at who she was talking to.

"Good morning Danni, ladies." Malcolm nodded to the group and they all smiled back, "It's been a long time since you came on one of these rides Mal, sure you're up to it?" Jake asked jokingly. Mal flushed slightly and said, "I think I'll be able to keep up if that's what you mean Jake." Jake shrugged and turned back to his saddle. Mal rode over to the girls and said, "I'm going to catch up with the rest of the pack, you girls okay?"

Stefanie smiled up at her boss, ever the protective one, "Yeah, it's just the usual knuckleheads back here; we'll be fine, it's good you came Mal." He smiled at her and then kicked his horse's flanks, urging him to catch up with the rear of the group.

Tony cornered Roxie as she was preparing to mount Wrath and said, "Bones, listen I wanted to apologize." She cut him off and said, "Tony, I don't think this is the proper place, although I do want to talk to you, I think perhaps it would be better to wait until we were in an atmosphere that was more conducive to an actual conversation instead of socially accepted banter." Booth smiled and said, "Your voice says Roxie, but your words say Bones. Okay, we'll wait, can I ride with you?" She smiled sadly and said quietly, "Maybe later Booth, I need some time okay?" Nodding, he agreed, "You're right, we both do." He hopped up into the saddle and then turned Gunn towards the rest of the group, before leaning back on his flanks and saying, "Do you think Wrath was the best choice for this type of thing?" She could hear the concern in his voice and see it in his eyes and said, "I think he'll be fine, if not, I'll swap out and ride Charcoal, but thanks."

He nodded again and then clucked to Gunn to trot over to the rest of the gang waiting for them. The girls quickly caught up to the tail end of the other riders and left the guys to bring up the rear, "What was that about?" Carrie asked, pulling along side of Roxie.

"Oh, he wanted to know if Wrath was okay to ride that was all." She said with a grin.

Danni snorted, "I bet that was all." The three of them settled into light conversation and admired the scenery as they rode along the trail. Brennan loved the inclusion with the group as well as the beautiful setting; she'd never been invited to anything like this before and was really looking forward to it. She was also acutely aware that most of her social awkwardness was fading as she fell fully into the role she was here to play. She looked back over her shoulder and caught Booth's eye as she did and grinned when he winked at her. _It might just turn out after all_ she thought.

"So what was that about?"Curtis asked Tony as she turned back around, "What was what?" He asked innocently. Tony flushed slightly and said, "Ah come on man, you know I don't know what you're talking about."

"The conversation back there, now a glance, is there a hook up in your future?" He laughed at the expression on Booth's face. "I just wanted to make sure that she was going to be okay on that horse, he's only green broke after all, I thought she'd leave him behind."

"Yeah right," Jake piped up, "It was a safety check, okay Tony." They all laughed and then settled into the ride themselves.

Clay, Scoot and Leo were making their way up the highway through the tree line when Clay decided he needed to stop and rest, his leg was sore from the extended ride, he hadn't ridden this far in a long time and being alone seemed to make it more difficult. Although it was a nice steady pace and the game trail was pretty easy to follow, he had to keep checking through the trees to make sure that he hadn't missed the turn off to the parking area. He was only vaguely sure which turn off Tony had been talking about anyway. Sliding off of Scoot, he loosened the saddle slightly and loosely tied the pony to a low hanging branch, Scoot began to graze on the high mountain grass and as Clay slid down the trunk of the tree to stretch his leg out Leo came over and lay beside him. Clay reached into his pocket and pulled out a granola bar and gave part of it to Leo as the two of them rested. He wondered what he would say to Jayson, should he tell him that he overheard him and his Aunt in the barn, or should he wait for Jayson to tell him he was his father himself. He wasn't sure what to do, but he was sure he wasn't going to lose him now. He was so close to having what his friends did, a real life dad. He rarely connected to the other men that he was exposed to, he felt safe with Malcolm and he liked being with Jake and Jesse was always nice to him. It wasn't until Tony came along that he actually missed having a dad though. He realized now that he liked having someone to look up to and he wouldn't give that up for anything. After about 20 minutes and feeling like his leg was sufficiently rested, he tightened the saddle up and remounted Scoot. The three of them took off down the trail and as he watched Leo lope ahead, he thought again about the conversation he'd interrupted and how things would be different if Jax and his mom were still here. The game trail continued along the edge of the tree line and Clay looked over and saw that he was almost across the highway where there appeared to be a turn off. He didn't know if he'd gone far enough and was trying to decide whether he should continue or not when he caught a glimpse of sun reflecting off a side mirror. He crossed the highway quickly and headed towards the gleam of light, sure it was from one of the trucks and he was in the right spot.

However, when he got to where the mirror was, he saw that it wasn't attached to a pick up and trailer, instead it was a tractor-trailer loaded up with barrels. He didn't think that he was in the right turn off and didn't want to disturb the trucker that was obviously resting so he began to turn around to cross back over the highway and continue on when Leo began barking at a rustling in the woods. "Stop it Leo!" he commanded, afraid that the big dog would succeed in waking the trucker. "Come here!" He hissed, Leo's hackles were raised but he came over to the young boy's side. "Clay?" The man's voice asked, as he stepped around the front of his truck, tucking the pistol into the back of jeans as he did. Spider had been restless and he'd been out taking a leak when he'd heard the horse start to spook so he'd come around thinking that the men had arrived that would be taking the truck off of his hands. He was quite surprised to see that instead of the runners he was expecting it was Stefanie's nephew and his dopey dog.

"What are you doing here son?" He asked a friendly grin on his face. Jesse was the last person that Clay expected to see come around the front of the truck and although apprehensive at first, he knew that Jesse wouldn't let anything happen to him. He was Jayson's brother after all, he had to know too right? "Hi Jesse," He said shyly, "I was hoping this was the turn off to the bonfire."

Jesse raised his brow and thought quickly, he didn't want this brat to be here when the others showed up, but he didn't have enough time to get rid of him either, "Well buddy, that's about 4 miles back down the road, does your Aunt know you are heading up there?" He listened trying to hear if there was any traffic on the road, he glanced at his watch and knew that it was only a matter of minutes before they showed up.

"She doesn't know, but I don't have to ask her if I can go," He said defiantly, "I'm not a baby I can go if I want to. She's not my mom." Clay's chin was set at a stubborn angle and he sat up straighter in the saddle. He wasn't about to let Jesse stop him from going. Not after all of his careful planning. "I'll just head back down and find it myself." He started to turn Scoot and just then Jesse heard tires slow and turn towards their location.

"Don't worry Clay, I won't stop you, listen, I've got some friends coming here soon and have to take care of some business, why don't you and Leo head on over into the trees there and wait for me quietly. When I'm done, the two of us will ride up to the bonfire together okay? Your aunt will skin me alive if I let you go up there by yourself now that I know you're here anyway, how's that? Can you keep Leo with you and stay quiet?"

Clay thought about what he said and nodded slowly, he was already lost and Jesse wouldn't let him get further lost, "Okay Jesse." He agreed, sliding off of Scoot he tapped his leg for Leo to come over, "Don't make any noise okay Clay? No matter what you hear okay?"

Clay thought it was weird but agreed and the three of them moved into the tree line out of sight of the big truck, he tied Scoot off and held onto Leo. "Now be quiet you big dope." He whispered into his dog's ear and looped his collar around his hand as he sat down holding Scoot's reins as well.

Jesse took his hat off and wiped his brow, _that was close,_ he thought.


	49. Chapter 45

BOAB CH45

The men pulled up in the non-descript van and unloaded, each of them looking around the heavily wooded area for signs of other people. Satisfied with their cursory inspection, they walked over to where Jesse was standing, his back towards the direction he'd sent Clay. "It's about damn time you guys showed up," He growled. "We're on time." The lead man said as he walked over to the truck. The other two that had arrived with him crawled onto the flatbed and checked the barrels over. They conferred with each other briefly and then came down and spoke to the man standing in front of Jesse. "It's all here." Were the only words spoken, nodding at them one of them got back in the truck and the lead turned to Jesse, "Keys?" Jesse reached into his pocket and pulled them out, "Tell that bitch I want my money." He snarled at the man as he handed them over. The man laughed and said, "I'll pass that along chump, thanks for the ride." He climbed into the cab and the other man joined him as the van led the way out of the clearing, backing the big flatbed down to where he could turn it around the man waved out the window as Jesse watched the taillights flash briefly before the rise of the dirt road prevented him from seeing the truck at all. Sighing he walked over to where Clay was hidden, "You ready kid?" He asked.

Clay stood up and said, "Who were they?"

Jesse looked back down the road, "Nobody kid, that was nobody." Clay shrugged and got on his horse as Jesse loaded Spider up and came over, "Let's go." His terse command made Clay feel a little unsure, but history overrode his fear, Jesse had been in his life since he was a little kid, he wouldn't do anything to get him hurt. Turning Scott to follow Spider, he soon realized that conversation wasn't on Jesse's mind as the first couple of questions got brusque one word responses, deciding to let Jesse be, Clay settled in silently behind the big horse and tried his best to keep up.

The rest of the group stopped at the top of the butte and spread out to rest their horses and grab some food. Commenting on the spectacular view of the valley and the nice morning ride, some of them were rolling their heavy coats up and changing into cooler shirts. It was still fairly cool, but the further up they went the less tree cover they would have, so it would rapidly begin to warm up. Dogs were watered and the first beers of the day were cracked open as everyone enjoyed the day. Roxie and the rest of the girls arrived along with their escorts about 20 minutes after everyone else had already dismounted. They groused along with the good natured teasing about the reasons why they were late. Curtis and Tony endured the good natured ribbing as well as they headed over to where some of the other cowboys were standing. Chuck and Tug, Doug, Dirk, Jayson and Mal were standing around, an open beer in their hands when they trotted up. Tony noticed there was one person conspicuously absent, "Where's Jesse?" He asked looking back over his shoulder to see if he could spot him in the crowd. Chuck spoke up quickly, "He had to run an errand this morning but said he'd join us later. Why?"

Tony cocked his head at the aggressiveness of the answer and raised his eyebrow, "No reason Chuck, I just wondered where he was." He said lightly.

"Afraid you may have some competition for your girl?" he sneered.

Again Tony raised his brow, this time though it was a little harder to keep his voice light as he responded, "I'm not afraid of anything Chuck, let alone your little buddy Jesse." The two of them began to square off when Jayson stepped in and said, "Hey, l l lets all j j just c calm down here, g g guys." Curtis stepped over towards Tony and Tug towards Chuck and the situation was diffused slightly. A couple of the other cowboys looked over at their huddle and then turned back, laughing it off as just a schoolyard tussle. "Come on Tony, let's go get some grub," Curtis said as Carrie waived a sandwich in his eye line. "Yeah, that's a good idea." Tony said as the two of them headed over to the girls. Mal, Jayson and Dirk also left with them, "What the hell was that about?" Doug asked Chuck as they turned back to each other.

"I just don't trust that guy," Chuck said.

"Well, keep it in your pants Chuck, he's a damn fine cowboy and nobody wants to referee a pissing match this weekend," Doug said as he turned to walk over to where his wife had set up lunch for them. "Whatever Dougie." He sneered under his breath when he'd walked away. "How much longer do you think Jesse will be?" Tug worried as he lit a cigarette and crushed the can in his hand, tucking it absent mindedly into the pocket of the vest he wore. "Not too much longer," Chuck said looking at his watch, "If you hadn't of pussed out, he'd be here now and we wouldn't be talking about it." He turned away and walked over to his horse and grabbed some beef jerky out of the pouch. He hoped that Jesse had it all under control, he wasn't as sure that this was going to go off as smooth as Jesse thought it was, something just didn't feel right. Tug watched him walk away and said under his breath, "Asshole."

The guys came over from their little meeting of the minds and sat down on the blanket the girls had spread out, each of them taking a beer and a sandwich, they all talked about the ride and what else was expected. They had all been resting for about an hour when Jayson said, "W we well we should all g g get going, we d d don't want to be setting up t t too late." The girls agreed and Carrie started gathering up the trash, Danni, Stefanie and Roxie went over to the other people gathered on blankets or stumps and got everyone up and started them all repacking. Once there was no sign that they'd been there and they were all mounted up, Doug stood up in the saddle and yelled, "Regulators Ready!" Before yelling and spurring his horse on, waving his hat in the air. Everyone laughed at the movie quote and turned their own horses to follow. Once again Carrie and her girls and guys bringing up the rear, Jayson moving over to ride beside Stefanie.

"Thanks f f for the s s sandwich Stef." He said and she looked over and got a full glimpse of his blue eyes and wide smile. She felt her heart lurch in her chest and forced the millions of memories out her mind, "You're welcome Jayson, I'm glad you could come today. It seems that everyone else is glad to see you too." Once he'd arrived, all of the cowboys and most of their wives had all come over to shake his hand and welcome him home, he was the local home town hero having gone and done what so many of them had wanted to do themselves, before talent, real world responsibilities and injuries had forced them to admit that they weren't going to make it to the top. Jayson was glad to be back among his childhood friends and slipped easily into the small town mind set, he had liked being on the pro tour but had really never been close to anyone, it was pretty cutthroat on the road and everyone was out for themselves, himself included. "Yeah, its n n nice to be b b back." He said quietly. He could see that she was holding herself at a distance and although it hurt, he understood that she was just protecting herself. She smiled and urged her horse to go a little faster, leaving him behind as she pulled up alongside of Jake, "How you doing pretty lady?" He asked as she pulled alongside him.

"I'm doing fine Jake, how're you?" She asked giving him her full attention. Last night was another mistake in a long line of mistakes with this man, but she tried to care about him as much as she could. "Oh, you know, just waiting for the night to fall." He smiled at her and the two of them fell into an easy banter. Jayson slowed down and fell back to ride with the others, "Well, th th that went w w well." He said to no one in particular. Danni said, "Jayson, you can't expect that she would just fall all over you, it's been a long time and a lot has happened since you two were kids." Jayson nodded in agreement wondering if Danni knew just how much, "You're right D D Danni, so, what's been g g going on in P p payton place since I've b b been gone?" The girls all began to chat at once, with the occasional aside from the guys as they filled him in on the small town drama. Mal and Roxie rode side by side and he leaned over, "Having fun Rox?" She looked over and said, "Yes Mal, I'm enjoying myself very much. This has been a real eye opener for me and I've learned a lot, it's going to be hard to leave it all behind."

He nodded and said, "Do you know when you'll be heading on Temperance?" They were far enough behind the rest that they could speak freely, "I don't know, it doesn't seem like much longer now." She didn't want to elaborate on the case and her connection to Booth, especially since they were effectively stalled on the case as it were. "Well, for however long it ends up being, I for one will be sad to see it end. You're a really neat lady Dr. Brennan, I hope that you decide to come back sometime and see us all again." She smiled and agreed that she'd like that too. "How are things coming with Cordelia?" She asked and grinned at the flush that appeared on his face, "Things are good, you know I'm just taking one day at a time. She's ready for more, but I'm still a little gun-shy. What about you, Tony seems like a nice guy, anything happening there?" He watched her mouth open slightly and her eyes widen as if she'd been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, "I don't know what you mean." She finally said, although without any conviction. Mal just laughed and said, "Okay." The drifted into more relaxed conversation and continued on the trail.

"Jesse?" Clay asked timidly. He'd tried to get his attention a couple of times now and hadn't gotten anywhere, but he needed to stop and he couldn't wait anymore.

"What?" Jesse turned and looked back at the kid.

"I have to stop for a minute, my leg hurts and I have to pee." He said wanting to sound less like a little boy and more like a man, but no matter what, he was still just a little boy with a bum leg.

Jesse stopped Spider and Scoot stopped with gratitude behind him, he wasn't used to long rides either and it was showing, he had flecks of sweat on his sides and his breathing was labored. "Alright we'll stop for a minute or two, we don't have a lot of time to waste, and it's getting late and neither one of us wants to be up here after sundown." Jesse had been paralleling the rest of the group for about an hour or so now, they were about 6 miles south of them and he anticipated merging with them shortly. He'd been riding these game trails his whole life, and knew that this one would eventually drift down towards the bonfire pit. Clay slid carefully out of the saddle and had to sag against his pony when his legs touched down, his twisted leg wasn't able to bear a lot of his weight right away and he had to let the horse hold him up. He poured some water from his canteen into his hat and held it out first to Scoot and then Leo, both of them slurping loudly while he tried desperately to get some feeling into his leg. Slowly, the cramp that had settled into his thigh loosened and he was able to stumble behind a tree to relieve himself. Coming back around, he grabbed another granola bar and started to share it with Leo when Jesse came out from behind another tree and handed him a bag of trail mix and beef jerky, "Here kid, eat this instead, let the dog have the granola bar." He watched the kid sit down, his legs outstretched and said conversationally, "So, Clay, why this bonfire? What's so special about it that you'd want to ride all the way up here and go?" he took a swig from his own canteen, "Especially since your aunt is not gonna like having you there."

Clay chewed the handful of trail mix and jerky and swallowed before saying, "I wanted to hang out with the cowboys, and Aunt Stef says that I'm too young, but I'm not. I like being with them, Tony and Mr. Jayson, they're cool. Tony's been showing me some stuff, and he's gonna let me go behind the chutes when the rodeo opens, and Mr. Jayson was really nice to me." Jesse listened to the kid go on about the cowboys he was enamored with and felt his blood run cold, to his way of thinking his brother coming back couldn't have happened at a worse time, and he didn't trust Tony at all. Once Jayson found out this brat was his kid and that the other one was dead, then all hell was going to break loose and he didn't think that Tug and Chuck were smart enough to keep their mouths shut. On top of it all, that dumb Canadian cowboy Tony Scallion was making himself a pest, always around and asking questions, not to mention he was pretty sure he'd been hitting that sweet little piece of ass Roxie and Jesse wanted that all to himself.

"Well, yeah they are pretty cool cowboys; I'll give you that kid, you ready?" He wanted to get a move on; he'd had enough of babysitting.

Clay nodded his mouth full of trail mix, grabbing his dog, and signaling Leo to stand he hobbled over to the horses, Scoot wasn't breathing as heavily and accepted another hatful of water before Clay climbed carefully back into the saddle. His leg protested slightly at being forced back into the same position, but he knew that it wouldn't be much further and he'd be able to rest. The two of them took off, Leo following morosely behind them for once not eager to stray ahead, instead wanting to be as close to his boy as he could.


	50. Chapter 46

BOAB CH46

The large group of riders, dogs and pack horses made their way to the bonfire pit a few hours before dusk settled in and they all got right to work, setting up the tents, the line for the horses, cordoning off the outhouse area's and everything that needed to be done before the serious business of eating and drinking, carousing and partying could begin. Tony and his friends started building the base of the bon fire, along with the joking and cursing it brought back memories of the times that Booth had gone to bonfires as a high school student. They were a lot of fun, invariably someone would get to close to fire and end up with scorched shoes, or burned coat tails, there was bound to be a misunderstanding or two between friends and someone was going to make the hook up mistake and regret it terribly the next day. All in all, a great time. While he helped, he kept glancing over at Brennan and how she was interacting with the rest of them. The girls had all set up make shift tables and we're pulling out the food, getting things ready to go on the open fire spit and be dished out. He loved how she laughed so freely, and how included she was. His heart swelled with pride thinking that was his girl. He turned back to the wood and saw that Curtis and Jayson were stopped, watching him watch her. Rolling his eyes without saying anything they all laughed and got back to work.

Roxie was laughing at Carrie who was trying not to explode over one of the overzealous girlfriends trying to help with the food. She'd offered two or three times to help her stir the large mixture of potato salad and was quite sure she could do it keeping it in the bowl, but the girl declined. "Carrie, could you help me a second?" Roxie asked just as the vein at her temple began to throb. "Sure Rox, what do you need?"

Roxie handed her a box of Oreo's "Will you open this for me?" The look on Carrie's face was priceless and Danni and Stefanie both broke into great peals of laughter, "That's not cool Roxie, not cool at all."

"I'm sorry, I thought it would be funny, and it would get your mind off of trying to help that girl, let her struggle, at least she's trying." Stefanie jumped in and agreed, "Yeah, Carrie this is supposed to be fun remember?" Chuck and Doug and Dirk came to the table looking at the spread and wanting the steaks and burgers for the grill. "Men are here, we need meat for fire," Dirk said and winked at the girl at the end of the table. It was a last minute thing inviting her, but she seemed to be having a good time, at least his sister hadn't glued her to anything yet. "Where's Jesse?" Danni asked absentmindedly grabbing the butcher packages from one of the coolers. Standing up she turned and blew her bangs out of her face, and handed them over to Dirk, "He'll be a little late," Chuck said grabbing some chips out of a bowl, "He had something to do this morning."

"Oh okay," Danni responded, turning now to look for the rest of the burgers, dismissed Chuck turned and left and Dirk remarked, "Wow Dan, looks like you may be over the Chuckmeister after all, there was hardly any drool or love in that interaction at all. Good on ya girl!" Rolling her eyes and glaring at him she said, "Is the flavor of the week you brought old enough to stay out past curfew D? Does her mommy know she's playing with the big kids tonight?" Her overly sweet response causing Lilah and Catherine to laugh with delight.

Dirk had the good sense to blush before he said, "She's old enough Danni." Grabbing the rest of the meat he and Doug walked back over to the BBQ pit and began unwrapping and getting things going on the grill. Almost as one a universal switch came on and everyone started pulling up saddles, coolers pop up chairs and even rolling over boulders to sit on around the BBQ area, beer and drinks were brought out and the party started rolling. A couple of guys got their guitars out and were singing popular songs with a few people from the crowd joining in as the sun began to go down below the mountain tops. Stars started popping out and although not full dark yet, it was turning out to be a beautiful night.

Just as the sun went behind the tallest peak, Jesse stopped, allowing Clay to put his jacket back on and they both used a convenient tree. "Not much further now buddy, then you can get some real chow and hang out with the cowboys."

"Thanks for bringing me Jesse; I didn't know it was so far up here, I don't think I would have made it alone."

"No problem kid, no problem at all. I just hope your aunt doesn't skin us both." He ruffled Clay's hair and then tightening the cinch on his own saddle he mounted back up. Clay climbed back into the saddle and thought if he never rode this far again it would be too soon. Leo trotted along behind Scoot as they continued up the hill.

Once the cowboy cooks had the meat and beans done, the ladies lined up assembly line style and dished out salads and corn bread, chips and pickles to everyone and then once fed, they all sat back down, now facing the bonfire instead of the BBQ pit, more beer flowed and the flasks had begun to appear, along with the after dinner smokes. Booth looked up sharply as the sweet burning smell of marijuana leaves drifted through the wood smoke, looking around he wasn't able to see who it was, but did find it amusing that Curtis looked up sharply too. Catching his eye he shrugged and they both laughed. Jayson and Jake both whistled to get everyone's attention and Jake held up his beer, "To the prodigal son, welcome home and to everyone else a safe show, safe ride and let's keep the overall here in the town!" Everyone raised their cans, bottles and flasks to the toast and Jayson nodded back, tipping his can towards his friends. Throwing the lit box of matches on the soaked wood, everyone cheered and whistled or hollered when the flames leapt straight up into the now inky black sky. Almost like the starting gun being shot off, the party started. The guitarists starting playing dancing songs and most of the people began to dance and sing around the big fire. Booth stared into the flames and took a drink of his beer. Across the fire from him, Roxie was sitting between Carrie and Danni and seemed deep in discussion. Watching the shadows of the flames dancing on her face he was mesmerized by her beauty, he watched the light reflect in her eyes and his mind was drawn back to the last night they'd been together, her body in his hands. He sat back and adjusted himself and tried hard to will himself back to a more comfortable state.

"Just go talk to him Roxie; he's not going to bite you." Carrie said, throwing back a shot of tequila.

"What are you talking about?" Roxie asked.

"Tony, you've been mooning over him for the last half hour, you keep looking at him though you are pretending you aren't. What happened between you two anyway?"

"Yeah, a couple of days ago you two weren't gonna surface from the bed, now, you're acting like high school kids." Danni joined in.

"Nothing happened." Roxie started to say when Carrie interrupted, "Oh I'm sorry, see I thought you understand this is a no bullshit zone. So can the 'I'm fine' line and let us have the dirt sister!" She slugged back another shot and passed the bottle to Stefanie.

Roxie laughed and swallowing her own drink said, "He and I admittedly have some issues to resolve, I mean he's hot and smart and funny, but I don't know if I'm ready for anything. I mean, he's just here for the rodeo right? I can't get serious about someone that isn't even going to stick around."

"Hot?" Stefanie said, "He's beyond hot Roxie, he's like…molten. Who cares if he's even here tomorrow girl? I say buy a ticket on that ride!" The three of them started laughing and then Roxie joined in, picturing the ride she and Tony had recently embarked on. They continued to chat about various features of the guys and when the second bottle of tequila was broke out, Roxie excused herself, "I have to pee." She said bluntly and staggered over to where they had set up tarps on clothesline to give people privacy. She giggled to herself thinking that she'd never announced a bodily function like that before. When she was done and was coming out from behind the tarp, she was looking down, buckling her belt and didn't see the immovable object in front of her. "Ooof," she said looking up. Jesse stood there and grabbed her arms, "Sorry Miss Roxie, I didn't know you'd be coming out. You okay there?" She grinned up at him and said, "Yes Jesse, I'm fine thanks."

Jesse turned to watch her make her way back to the bonfire and tied up Spider, unloading his saddle he ambled over to where Chuck and Tug were standing, "Hey boys." He said as he grabbed a beer from the cooler at their feet. "Jesus man, what took you so long?" Tug said clearly worried.

"Don't worry nervous Nell, I had a bit of a problem to take care of after the guys showed up, but it's all good now. Did I miss anything?"

Chuck looked over the rest of them partying and said contemptuously, "Nah, same old shit every year all these posers telling stories about who the better rider is, the ugly girls trying to get laid and everyone getting drunk." Jesse grinned and patted his friend on the shoulder, "Well, let's see what I can do to get in the middle of an ugly girl sandwich." He chugged the beer and grabbed another, heading towards the circle.

Saying hello and shaking hands of the cowboys he knew, tipping his hat at the ladies, Jesse made his way to stand next to Jayson, who had maneuvered himself next to Stefanie and the rest of the girls. "Hey bro, having' fun?" Jesse said, tipping his beer at his brother.

"Yeah J J Jesse, y y you j j just get h h here?" He knew that talking to his brother made Jesse irritated, so he tried to communicate with him as little as possible, they were never as close as the rest of their friends thought they were. Although a good calf roping team when younger, they had both moved onto single ride events as they got older. Jesse hated talking to his brother, he just wanted to smack the back of his head like he would a CD that skipped or something, but over the years he'd gotten that urge under control and now when he started to stutter he'd just nod and smile. The two of them chatted a bit and Stefanie moved over to talk to Jake, just as Tony decided he was going to try and talk to Roxie. She had come back from the makeshift bathrooms and he'd been watching her put a serious dent in the bottle of tequila the girls were passing, and if he had any hope of talking to her when she was somewhat coherent it needed to be now or never.

"Hey Roxie, you got a second?" He asked kneeling behind her and the rest of the girls.

Carrie saved her the chance to respond, "Oh yeah Tony, she's got lots of them, dontcha girl? Go on, talk to the pretty cowboy." She took the bottle from Roxie and pushed her slightly towards him, reaching out he caught her in his arms and she looked up and giggled, "Sure Tony, I got lots of seconds." He grinned and helped her up, making their way out of the light from the circle, but not leaving the warmth it put off. Curtis took this as his cue to go and break up the dynamic duo, the guitarists had moved into some slower songs and he wanted to dance with Danni. "Excuse me ladies," he bent down and bowed, "Danni would you like to dance?" She looked up mid swallow and coughed, the tequila that stayed in her mouth burned going down her throat and the rest sprayed out towards the fire. "Sure, yeah, uh okay." She said wiping her chin as Carrie laughed so hard she slid off the stump she'd been sitting on, wiping her eyes, she watched the tall cowboy escort her best friend over to where some other couples had been dancing. "Oh well Carrie, you'll meet someone someday too I'm sure." A smooth voice said from above her, looking up she saw that it was Jesse. "Thanks Jesse, it's always nice to get relationship advice from someone that's never had one lasting longer than a condom." Setting the stump back up she turned her back on him and hoped he'd take the hint. Laughing he tipped his beer towards her and made his way towards a clump of girls that looked way too young to be there and had no business with a man like him anyway.

"Pretty cowboy huh?" Tony said his arm around Roxie's waist as they settled down on the ground. "Yeah," she giggled, "they think you're hot." Booth loved her when she was like this, she wouldn't try to hide behind science and would actually say what she felt. "They think I'm hot? What about you? Do you think I'm hot?"

"I think your temperature is no more or no less than any other healthy male specimen Booth, I don't see the relevance in terms of heat."

"Guess you're not as drunk as I thought," he mumbled under his breath, causing her to giggle, "I wouldn't say I'm drunk, but I could be." She grinned and leaned against him. He leaned back and raised his arm from her waist to stroke the escaped tendrils of hair against her neck. "Bones, I'm sorry I called you a prostitute." He started when she interrupted him, "You didn't call me a prostitute Booth, you compared me to one and strictly speaking it was a good as analogy as any."

"Okay, I'm sorry I compared you to a prostitute and this is going to be hard enough as it is, so if you could just let me get through it okay?"

"Okay, yes sir Sergeant Major Booth," she said with exaggerated playfulness and a sharp salute. Booth took her hand in his and kissed the back of it and said, "Bones I love you, not only as my partner at work, not only as my best friend, but I'm in love with you. I want to be your partner at home, in bed and in your life." He plunged ahead as she opened her mouth to speak, "Let me finish Bones, I know that having sex on this assignment wasn't the best of ideas, but you were right, here is the place where we could be together physically except that somewhere along the line I stopped being Tony but you never stopped being Roxie. Bones, I can't be two people, I'm just me, I may play the part of an undercover cowboy or boxer or clown or whatever, but even then I'm still me, Seeley Joseph Booth and I want you to love me. Not Tony, me. I think I know what you are afraid of, and I don't know how to make you understand that I'm not your dad or your brother; I'm not going to go somewhere. I'm not using our relationship to get further ahead in my career like other men you've dated. I want you Bones, all of you, the tough brainy smurf, the sexy and smoldering hot woman I've come to know. But I'm not going to fight anymore; I don't have it in me anymore. I'm not making any ultimatums you do what you feel you can or is right however you have to justify it Bones, all I can say is I love you." She felt a tear slide across her lower lash at the picture his words were painting and she took his hand in hers, grasping it tightly.

She started to speak when there was a large crash from behind them where the horses were tethered, all the dogs began to bark at once, and Tony jumped up to look into the dark putting Bones behind him. Men pulled rifles and pistols out and joined where Booth was on the outer rim of the fires' circle. The women were holding the dogs back and a couple of guys had circled around to see if they could get close to the horses to try and prevent them from bolting. Snorting and pawing the ground, most of them were tossing their heads and calling. None more vocally than Wrath, it was as if the hounds of hell were nipping at his heels, he was rearing back, and trying desperately to break free of the secure tether line. "Tony, please let me check on Wrath," Roxie called across the fire, the only other sound that of the dogs still barking and the low murmur from the men and women as they tried to figure out what had spooked the horses.

"Roxie stay where you are. Carrie don't let her out of your sight." Tony said over his shoulder suddenly tense as he saw a creature emerge from the edge of the trees. Easily three feet tall, it lurched towards them and the men on the outer rim all drew a bead on it when suddenly there was a shout across the fire, "Leo?"


	51. Chapter 47

BOAB CH47

"Oh my God is that Leo?" Stefanie's voice came across the bonfire shaky and unsure. Booth indicated to the men around him and beyond to put their guns down, while Stefanie ran around the outside of the circle and stopped just short of the big dog. Leo looked up at her and whined, dragging his back leg, he limped once more and lay down. She dropped to her knees in front of him and cradled his head; he licked her hand and whined before closing his eyes. Mal and Roxie rushed over to him, Mal swallowed hard and said, "Oh Jesus, Leo what happened man?" Roxie and Mal both knelt beside him while Carrie and Danni brought over the medical kit from Mal's pack and a blanket, Danni held a flashlight on him while Mal and Roxie looked over his extensive injuries. Breathing heavily but shallowly his eyes fluttered occasionally as Stefanie slowly whispered to him to be okay and stroked his forehead. Leo was covered in bramble burrs, sticks and forest debris, combined with the blood and flecks of foam it was hard to see where his many injuries originated from. Roxie ran her hand down his side and he cried out, realizing that he most likely had broken ribs she stopped and caught her breath in her throat, Mal determined that his pelvis was broken, as well as the leg he'd been dragging. He was missing several teeth and his jaw appeared fractured, not to mention the claws on his front paws were completely ripped away. "What happened to him Mal?" Stefanie asked, tears in her eyes and her voice.

Roxie put the blanket over him and looked up, tears mirrored in her eyes as well. "Mal?" she asked quietly, Mal stood and ran his hand though his hair and then down his face, looking back over the bonfire and all the eyes staring at the scene before him he looked up at the stars and then back down before answering, "I don't know Stef, he may have been hit by a car? Or he fell down a drop or cliff or something? I don't see any type of puncture wounds or bites, so I don't think it was another animal, but that's not what I'm worried about, Stefanie I don't have the supplies here to work on him, and it's a six hour ride back to the trucks and its night out." He wiped his face again, surreptiously removing the tears that had appeared in his eyes as well, "All I can do is try to make him comfortable Stef, I can't fix him." On the last words he knelt back down to look at his friend and co worker. She looked back to him and then down to Leo, who had opened his eyes again and was looking at her, his pain reflected in his eyes as well as his love, he licked her hand again and then taking a deep breath was still. "It's okay Mal, he's gone." Roxie whispered her hand on his flank. Stefanie took a deep breath of her own and looked around; laying his head gently on the ground she stood and walked towards the trees, "Clay! CLAYTON!" She screamed louder, "CLAY ARE YOU OUT THERE?" her voice was hysterical when she turned around and stared at the silent crowd, "Where's Clay?" she asked no one in particular.

Jesse came forward, his hands outstretched, "Stefanie, honey you don't know that Clay was with him, like the doc said, he could have been hit by a car and just followed his nose or something, there's no telling why Leo was out here."

She looked at him like he was a bug, "Leo wouldn't go anywhere without Clay and vice versa, why was Leo 40 miles from home?"

Jesse tried again, "Maybe he was picked up? Someone thought he was a stray, picked him up, he jumped out on the ride and got hurt? Leo's a smart dog; he probably smelled you and tracked you?"

Stefanie just started crying harder, "Clay? CLAYTON NATHAN! ANSWER ME!" Her voice echoed across the open area and she sank to her knees. Carrie and Danni rushed to her side as everyone else started to talk at once about what needed to be done. "Should we go look for him?" Doug asked, concerned that if that were the case they needed to go sooner rather than later. Tony pulled Mal aside and asked, "What do you think Doc? You think that dog was up here by himself?"

Mal looked down and then at Tony, "I don't, those two were literally inseparable, not just close, but ALWAYS together, if the dog was up here, then the kid is too."

Tony looked back towards the fire ring; the women had all come over and were gathered around Stefanie, while clumps of cowboys stood waiting to see what the plan was. Suddenly Stefanie broke free of the group and ran towards Jayson, stopping in front of him she pounded him on the chest screaming at him, "This is your fault! Why did you come back!" Jayson wrapped her in his arms and said as carefully as he could, "D d don't w w worry Stef, we'll f f find him, he'll b b be o okay."

She squirmed in his arms and he let her go reluctantly, she looked around at the waiting people and said, "What are you waiting for? Let's go find him!"

Carrie and Danni started towards their friend and Carrie said, "Stefanie, honey we have to have an idea what we're gonna do here, we can't just go rushing out into the woods." There were murmurs of agreement all around, Stefanie turned around slowly in a circle looking at her friends. Jake came over and attempted to take her hands when she shook him off and she started to walk over to the horses, "Stefanie, STOP." Jake said, grabbing for her again, Jayson had also made a move towards her when she stopped and looked back at them, her face flushed with fear and anger, tears evident in her eyes she screamed, "THAT IS MY SON! I'M NOT WAITING FOR YOU TO MAKE A DECISION ABOUT MY SON!" No sounds beyond the wood crackling and the breeze in the upper branches of the trees greeted her response. Everyone was in shock. Jayson was the first to respond, rushing to her side he caught her just as she collapsed and the two of them hit the ground hard, she shook her head against the impact and then began to sob in his arms, her head in his chest as he held her and stroked her hair, whispering to her the whole time.

Doug whistled and said loudly, "Those of you too drunk to ride, stay here, the rest of you grab a flashlight and come over to the horses."

One of the cowboys in the crowd said "Ain't one of us here that's ever been too drunk to ride Doug."

All of the cowboys and a couple of the ladies gathered at the tree line, next to their horses, Tony and Roxie, Mal and Danni included. "Alright everyone, before we all rush off half cocked into the woods, let's get organized, now most of you have been in these mountains your whole lives, so make sure there is a local person in every group, groups of two or three and you DO NOT separate. We'll spread out and ride for an hour, no communication unless you find something. Once an hour has passed" he was interrupted by one of the cowboys, "Doug, cell's don't work that well up here, how are we gonna know anything?" Doug sighed and looked around, waiting for someone else to jump in, "Well, it's not a great plan, but we could fire a shot in the air if we find something?" Danni said hesitantly. "We've all got rifles or pistols with us."

The men looked around and most of them nodded, "It's not the best, but it'll work, if nothing else we'll hear the rapport from the gun." Mal said.

"If no gun shot at an hour, than we keep going for another hour, by then we'll most likely be out of hearing range anyway, but if you find something, start a fire, somehow get notice out. We'll try to do more in the morning, you know… if we haven't found anything."

Tony, Roxie and Mal started towards the horses when Tony said, "Roxie, maybe you should stay here? If Mal comes with us, then both the people with the most medical experience are away from the group." She looked at him and said, "I'm going with you Tony, Mal can stay here." Curtis stepped up, "Hold on, none of us besides Mal know these mountains, so he has to go, Carrie has some veterinary experience, so she can stay here, Danni and I will go out together, since she knows the valley, Tony you and Mal go and Roxie can go with Jake and Jayson?"

At this point no one was worried about hurt feelings, just trying to find a young boy that may or may not be out there and may or may not need help. Tony swallowed hard, he didn't want to let her out of his sight, but he knew that having the only two with extensive medical experience in the same group was foolish, "Okay, take Charcoal though." He said, his Tony persona slipping away while Booth took over. Roxie was already saddling Wrath, "Wrath has better stamina then Charcoal Bo-Tony." She faltered. Booth stopped and rolled his eyes up, taking a deep breath he walked over to her and as close as he could get he said, "Bones I don't want you alone in the woods at night on a horse that isn't completely saddle broke, will you please stop being stubborn and just ride the other one?" His voice was hard, but his hand was gentle as he took her hand, she could hear the concern in his voice, but she was determined that Wrath was the right choice. "I'm taking Wrath Tony. Mount up." She said, sliding her leg over his saddle and clucking to him gently.

Tony shook his head and loading Gunn up, he got up into his own saddle and the mounted riders all rode back over to the trail head, Doug and Mal got everyone into groups of two's and three's and they pointed out the direction everyone should take. Jake, Jayson and Roxie started off when Jesse trotted up, "What are you doing here Jesse? We've got this covered, why don't you go see if there is another group that needs a local?" Jake said, knowing that having the two brothers together was going to be a volatile mess. "Why doesn't Jayson stay here with Stefanie and I'll ride along with you guys? I mean, he is Clay's dad, shouldn't he be with his mom?" Jake looked over at Jayson, his eyes wide, he opened his mouth to speak and then closed it quickly, before starting again, "Jayson?"


	52. Chapter 48

BOAB CH48

Jayson glared daggers at Jesse and then nodded at Jake, "It's t t true Jake, I'm C C Clay's dad, b b but right now I I j j just want to f f find him." Jake said, "That's good enough for me, let's ride." Jesse smiled sardonically and said, "After you gentlemen," and he fell in behind them. Jayson rode over to where Stefanie was still slumped against one of the stumps outlining the bonfire and slid off of his horse, "Steff, baby we'll find him, I p p promise you." He said softly as he knelt beside her, she reached out and hugged him tight but stayed silent. Jayson knew that she was fighting herself to not fight him and he wanted her to do what she needed to do to stay strong. Kissing the top of her head, he remounted his horse and quickly caught up with Jake, Jesse and Roxie.

Each group set out, calling Clay's name, shining flashlights around and taking time to look in and around rock formations, downed logs and all the pitfalls that make up the forest landscapes. At an hour out everyone stopped and rested still and silent on their horses, hoping for a gunshot. After a few minutes with no shots to be heard, the groups continued on. In her group, Roxie was in the middle of the pack, Wrath picking his way behind Jake, who had led them over towards a creek bed. Without warning, Wrath stopped and tossed his head, reared back slightly and started back pedaling, throwing his head as if in tantrum. Roxie slid back in the saddle but then forced herself to lean forward and grip tighter with her legs, murmuring to him the whole time. Suddenly Wrath wasn't the only one reacting strangely to the area, Spider bucked once and then Jake was almost tossed out of his seat too. "What the hell?" Jesse exclaimed, quickly sliding off of Spider and pulling his head down to prevent him bolting. Jake's horse settled down quickest and he stayed mounted as the rest of them slid out of the saddles. Shining his flashlight down the slight incline he inhaled sharply. Down at the bottom of the gulley, Scoot lay unmoving, his neck extended an angle that no horse could survive. Roxie put her hand over her mouth to hold back a sob and barely missed Jayson throwing the reins of his horse to her as he slid down the incline, barely staying upright himself, his boots slick on the fallen pine needles and gravel.

He reached the pony and Jake threw him a flashlight, staying silent while he looked Jayson followed the outline of the horse and around in a wider circle relieved at not seeing his son, but afraid of what he would see. The saddle was loose and the bridle appeared to have been wrenched off of his head. From what Jayson could tell the poor horse died almost instantly, and that worried him further. Jake handed his reins to Jesse and slid down to join his friend, calling loudly, "Clay? CLAYTON?" Jayson stood still and looked around the bottom of the gulley, tears trailing his cheeks, Jake came over and put his hand on his shoulder and then pulled the larger man into an embrace, "It's okay Jay, we'll find him, I promise, it's okay." He said, while the normally stoic cowboy cried. Jayson hugged his friend back and then stood apart from him, "I know J J Jake, let's k k keep looking." The two of them started back up the hill, and aside from a few false starts on the slippery undergrowth, made it to the top without incident.

Roxie said, "Was there any sign of him down there?" at the same time that Jesse said, "Maybe he wandered off, let's split up?"

Jake looked at Jayson and then Jesse and said, "I don't know man, splitting up now may not be a good idea," Jesse interrupted him and said, "We won't go far, we go down to where Scoot is and two of us go north and two go south for a couple hundred yards, just seeing if Clay wandered away, it can't hurt and then if we don't find anything, we'll just come back here."

Jayson looked at Jake and Roxie and said haltingly, "It c c can't hurt." Although she didn't agree, Booth had told her never to break up a group like that especially in unfamiliar surroundings, seeing the broken body of the pony made her want to find the boy even more. She started to speak when Jesse said, "Come on Rox, you and I will go south, these two can go north, we'll ride for 20 minutes & then come back. Agreed?" He looked at the rest of the group and they all nodded. Roxie handed the reins of their horses back to them and Jake pulled her close, pressing a small revolver against her stomach he whispered urgently into her ear, "Just in case Roxie." She was surprised but grateful, and tucked the gun into the small of her back.

Carefully, the four of them urged their horses over the lip of the ravine, allowing them to pick their footing carefully. The horses were able to make it down to the bottom with a minimum of slippage and aside from the smell of the blood from Scoot causing them to blanch at the bottom they were ready to ride in no time at all.

Turning Wrath's head to the south and following behind Jesse and Spider, Roxie looked at the landscape as best she could in the glow from the flashlight, as she was sweeping back to the right there was a brief glint of wet light and she stopped Wrath and carefully brought the flashlight back to where she thought she'd seen the flash. Jesse and Spider were still moving when she brought Wrath to a halt and slid off, flipping his reins over his head and allowing them to hang loosely in her hand, she touched the wet spot at the base of the tree and looked at it closely, and there was no mistaking the blood. Shining her light down further over the lip of the smaller ravine she gasped out loud at the sight of the small boy laying face down at the bottom. A pack of some sort lying just outside his reach. She tried desperately to make no noise to hear if there were sounds of life, but the horse breathing, trees blowing and crunching of hooves made it nearly impossible. She was turning to yell at Jesse that she'd found him when the pistol in his hand connected solidly with her temple, dropping the reins, she slid boneless to the ground. Groggy but still slightly coherent, she was able to duck when his boot started to descend towards her, grabbing it, she pushed back and caused him to flail back against both horses. Taking that small opportunity, she flipped over backwards and slid down on her stomach to where Clayton's crumpled form rested.

Holding her breath, she carefully reached for the small pistol that Jake had given her and pulled it close to her breast as she rocked back on her heels slightly to look up, Jesse was once again standing at the lip and looking down. She could see a little of the moonlight reflected in his eyes and wondered if he was able to see her. She thought that perhaps the underbrush and angle of the incline gave her some cover, but she was wrong when the first shot rang out at the same time that the flashlight snapped on. "Ah Roxie, I see you down there pretty lady, what do you say you just hold on a second and I'll throw you a rope?" Jesse said squatting down and shining the light on her. Leaning forward slightly she cocked the gun and fired straight up, causing the horses to shriek and Jesse to fall back on his ass. "Whoooah! Look who's got some spunk," He said as he regained his footing, Roxie didn't hesitate, she fired again and once more time for good measure. Not sure if she was going to continue, Jesse decided he would take his chances and see how far he could get before her shots brought out the damn rescue committee. Leaping onto Spiders' back, he kicked at Wrath as he rode away, causing the big bay to leap up and began bolting back the way he'd come.

Jake and Jayson stopped immediately on the first shot and were halfway back to their starting point by the time the third shot echoed off the mountain. However, they were both almost thrown when Wrath in a blind panic rushed headlong into both of their horses. Jake spun off of his mount and was barely able to hang on to the reins and avoid falling down the rest of the ravine himself, while Jayson also barely maneuvered out of the way. Once past the other two however, Wrath slowed down and then stopped, dancing nervously from side to side as he allowed Jayson to come over and grab his reins. "D d do you t think she's okay?" He asked Jake quietly. Jake bent down and picked up his hat and put it on, wiping his face and seeing a slight smear of blood from a cut on his forehead he spat onto the ground and said, "I don't know Jayson, I don't know, but let's go find out." He'd recognized the rapport of the pistol shot and knew it was the small gun he'd given her, which told him that she was in trouble of some kind.


	53. Chapter 49

BOAB CH49

From the opposite side of the world, or so it felt Tony and Mal heard the faint echo of a gunshot. Stopping abruptly Mal said, "Hold on." He turned in the saddle towards the direction he'd thought the sound had come from, "I think that was a shot, Tony?"

Tony was saved from answering when two more faint shots rang out in quick succession. With his vast experience, those were the shots of desperation and his heart clenched hoping that it meant that Clay wasn't dead and that Bones was okay. The two men looked at each other and Mal said, "Those shots weren't the shots of someone signaling to 'come quick', Tony that was 'help me' if it could be explained in a gun shot." Nodding his head at the vet and experiencing a increase in respect he hadn't attributed as of yet to the doctor Tony said, "I agree, Mal I've got to tell you something first," Just then the sound of rushing hoof beats surrounded them as Danni and Curtis rounded a bend and skidded to a stop, "Did you hear those shots?" Curtis asked, his tone more businesslike than any tone before. "Yeah," Tony said, "I'm glad you're here, I was just telling Mal,"

"Sorry Tony, I hate to interrupt," Curtis interrupted and then continued, "I'm afraid I'm here under false pretenses, I'm actually Special Agent Curtis Conway with the ATF, I'm here undercover following a drug ring that's been distributing in the upper Northwest," he flashed his badge and started to continue when Booth interrupted him, "Well, Agent Conway, I hate to step on your pointed toes, but I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI and I'm here investigating the murder of two women found in your drug barrels, and…"

Danni jumped in, "Okay, do you two want to just whip them out and measure them here or what? Come on Mal, let's go, we've got to find out who shot the gun and why while you two government officials decide who is more important." Still silent Mal looked carefully from both officers to Danni and then back, the look on her face scared him more than either of the two agents and their agendas did. Nodding at the two of them, he and Danni took off in the general direction of the shots, meeting up with others that had turned around and we're heading towards the shots as well.

Curtis looked at Booth's badge and then slid his hand up his grizzled cheek and took off his hat, leaning on the horn of his saddle he said, "Well, this is a fine mess, guess we're both gonna have to figure out whose case takes precedence a little later huh Tony?"

Booth nodded as he pulled his gun out of the holster and checked the clip, "Yep Curtis, guess this is the least of our worries, I'm ready to ride, you?" Curtis replaced his hat, and turned Honey in the direction that Danni and Mal had gone and said, "Ride on Agent."

The two of them took off, Gunn and Honey neck and neck as the horses soon found the game trail and were eager to catch up to the others, both horses were mountain born and bred and were about to show these green cowboys why they were chosen for this assignment. For their part, both agents allowed the horses their heads and let them choose the path. Catching up quickly to the other group, they were content to stay in the back as the rest of the horses ate up the ground, heading towards the shots.

Brennan heard both horses take off in different directions and lamented her non illumination status, but held steady for a couple of minutes until she was sure she and Clay were the only ones there. Then sliding carefully to the bottom of the hill and where he lie, she knelt gently next to the small boy and placed her finger on his neck to feel for a pulse. Sluggish and slow, but there she choked audibly as she exhaled. Holding back a sob she wiped her eyes quickly and then tried to assess his condition as best she could with no light. Running her hands gently over his body from his neck down his leg and back up the other side, she was able to determine very little. He was wearing a very heavy coat and that was preventing her from getting access to his chest and arms. She was hesitant to turn him over without knowing the extent of his injuries, so she settled back on her legs and just placed her palm over the back of his head whispering to him, "It's okay Clay, Booth will find us, I know he will, just be strong." She repeated the words in her head and hoped that he would find them sooner rather than later.

There was a small clearing ahead and everyone had paused to rest their horses and discuss the next decision when Booth and Curtis trotted in. Mal turned to them and held up his hands, "Everyone, hey! Pay attention, both of these men are here undercover with the ATF and FBI and I think we should let them make the next decision." Curtis looked at Booth and said quietly, "Got any idea Agent?"

Tony smiled and grabbed his satellite phone, dialing quickly he connected with his local backup, "Listen, get a read on my location, send up medical personnel and get these people cleared out of here, we've got an unknown situation, there is a missing kid and we've just heard gunshots," he listened and responded, "I don't care how long it takes, get it done, and If I were you, I'd have some ATV's or something other than horses up here, there's no telling who isn't going to be able to ride." Hanging up, he tossed the phone to Curtis, "Use this to get a hold of your back up, it has an eight channel readout, so ATF should be on there," Curtis quickly changed the channel and made his own call.

"I'm Special Agent Seeley Booth with the FBI and this is Special Agent Curtis Conway with the ATF, neither of us were aware that the other was here working any cases, but here we are and now the only thing that matters is finding out where those shots came from and finding that little boy. I'm going to ask anyone that doesn't have a firearm to head back towards the bonfire and wait there for further instructions, both the FBI and ATF will be here shortly," there were some murmurs of dissent when Mal spoke again, "He's right, we don't all need to be here, Danni and I will stay since we have medical experience, Doug, you and Dirk come with us too, everyone else head back down, okay?" Although they weren't all happy about it, everyone agreed that Mal was right; there was no need to clog up the woods with all of them. "I'll stay here in the clearing and turn people back towards the bonfire, as they show up," Chuck said and Mal nodded, "Good idea Chuck."

The larger group broke away and started heading back towards the fire to wait for the agencies to arrive and Danni, Curtis, Mal and Booth began riding along the game trail again. Brennan wondered if she should fire again, not sure of the status of her clip and only having the illumination from her watch she didn't want to waste a bullet if it was her last. Sighing she looked around to see if there was anything that she could use, she'd have had better luck looking for a pearl in jello she realized shortly, it was dark, cloud cover made using the moon virtually useless and she wasn't able to accurately read the shadows for what was real and what was her imagination. Brennan froze; she'd heard movement along the ridge above her and became worried. She tried to breathe shallowly and ached to cover Clay's body with hers, when she heard the sound of snuffling and snorting. Realizing that it had to be one of the horses she almost laughed out loud. She stood up and looked towards the sound, "Wrath?" She called quietly, wondering if the horse would even recognize his own name. He wasn't a dog after all. The snuffling stopped momentarily and then there was an answering whicker from the horse. She smiled and sagged slightly, just knowing he was nearby gave her enough encouragement to keep holding out that Booth would be there soon. "Roxie?" Jake's voice floated down to here, "Roxie? Are you okay?" Gravel skittered over the edge along with pine needles as Jake stepped towards the edge. Shining his flashlight down, he spotted her and Clay and said over his shoulder, "Jayson, over here quick, bring that light." The two cowboys shined their flashlights where she was and they both sagged in relief when she looked up at them, her face pale in the lights. "Jake! Jayson, Clay's here, he's barely breathing, I don't have a flashlight to check his injuries, Jesse shot at me and took off when I shot back," She hollered up at them hysterically.

"Okay Roxie, hold on, we're gonna get you a light and we'll get you both out of there, hold on honey, we just got to talk this through first. Hold on Rox," Jake said soothingly. Turning towards Jayson he said, "Jayson, Clay is okay right now, we have to get them both up here though, I'm going to get a flashlight down to her and then we'll see what he have to work with okay?" Jayson couldn't speak, his stutter made worse by his emotion he simply nodded. "Roxie honey, I'm going to roll a flashlight down to you. I'll leave it on so you can see the beam, okay?" Jake said over the lip, just hearing his voice again was enough to make her smile, "Okay Jake, send it down." Jake took the flashlight he'd been holding and slid it down the hill; all three of them watching it roll and bounce along the uneven terrain and then stop when she grabbed it just before it hit the bottom on the ledge. Taking the flashlight she shown it on the ground where Clay was lying and screamed, less than two feet from his outstretched hand the ledge they were on disappeared, looking behind her she saw that there was barely another foot or two before it too dropped. Sitting down shakily she realized that had she tried to move around too much without the light she would have careened down the side of the mountain into inky black depths that the flashlight was unable to penetrate. Sitting down beside the young boy, she allowed tears previously unshed to spill over her lashes.

She yelled up to them, "We've only got about two or three feet on either side of us on this ledge, I'm going to check his injuries now." Her voice was strong but somewhat shaky and Jayson broke his one vocal paralysis, "Don't worry Roxie, you'll be fine, both of you, we'll get you out of there, just stay strong." So emotional over the events of the past few days, none of them noticed it was the first time in his whole life that he hadn't stuttered.

Brennan crept back over to the boy and shone the light on him. There was a small tendril of blood along the back of his neck and coming from the ear that was upturned, she trained the light on his face and although bruised, there didn't seem to be any major contusions. She forced his eye open and the pupil contracted, which made her sigh in relief. Reaching under his jacket with one hand while shining the light on him, she didn't feel anything that appeared out of the ordinary. The best she could guess which for her was as unnatural as a tutu on an elephant, it was a head injury, and maybe internal, but his limbs appeared to be unbroken. Although there was still a risk of spinal injury that made her hesitant to turn him over, she checked his pulse again and was glad but somewhat dismayed to feel no change.

The two cowboys had been discussing the options of retrieval and were checking their supplies after having tied the horses off and were about to let Roxie know what their options were when they heard the others begin to arrive. Pulling their guns, Jake resting the rifle he carried on his shoulder but putting his finger on the trigger, they were relieved when Danni spoke up shortly after blinding them both with her mini floodlight, "Put those guns away, neither one of you can shoot worth a damn." Relieved to hear someone familiar, Jake shouted, "Jesus are we glad to see you all, Roxie found Clay, they're down there on an outcrop from the hill." Danni and Mal slid out of their saddles and shown their lights down the hill, Roxie looked pale from the strain and Mal said, "Don't worry Roxie, we're all here now."

Just then Booth jumped off of Gunn and ran over to the edge, "Bones? You okay?" he asked, shining his own light down as he leaned over as far as he could.

"Aside from the fresh shower of gravel, I'm fine Booth, please hurry though, I don't know what's wrong with Clay." Her blue eyes pleaded with him wordlessly and he felt his heart contract, his voice cracking slightly he said, "Okay Bones, we'll hurry, we'll get you out of there, just stay put baby." He stood up and turned towards Jake and Jayson, "Guys, what's the plan?"

Without any further preamble, Jake and Jayson began to outline what their initial plans were, Mal interrupted, "We can't pull that boy up without knowing if he's got a spinal injury or not, we could paralyze him or worse."

"Well Doc, what do you suggest?" Jake said clearly frustrated with the whole situation.

Danni had remained silent up to this point, while she listened to their ideas some more outlandish than the rest, she was sizing up the equipment they had available. "Does anyone else have a rifle?" She asked out of the blue. The men stopped speaking and looked at her, Curtis responded, "I've got a shotgun, why?" Doug jumped in, "I do Danni, but what does that have to do with anything?"

She didn't answer right away but squinched up her nose slightly and cocked an eyebrow, "We could lash them together and make a travois." Silence, dead silence greeted her statement until Dirk said, "What?"

Danni sighed and rolled her eyes, "We don't want to put any pressure on his spine or destabilize him in any way right? Well Clay isn't that tall, so what we do is lash the rifles and shotguns that we have together and slide them down to Roxie, she'll roll him on to the guns, tie him down to them and then we can pull him up. It'll keep his back stable better than nothing and then when he's up here, we can decide how best to transport him back down the hill." She finished. The men looked at her and then at each other, "Well, as ideas go, it's not the worse one I've ever heard," Jake said.

Booth jumped in, "I say we give it a shot, we've got enough ropes here." Curtis nodded in agreement, "Let's see what Roxie says first," Mal said wondering if Special Agent Booth knew who she really was and wondering why he called her Bones.

Mal lay down on his stomach and outlined the plan to Roxie. After thinking of it, she said, "In addition to the stabilization of the guns, put a few pine boughs down on top of them, that way there is more texture and the sled itself will be firmer." They all agreed and Jake, Jayson and Dirk got to work cutting down some low hanging boughs, while Curtis and Booth began to lash the guns together. Just as they were about to attach the boughs to the gun, a shot rang out and Dirk cried out in pain. Grabbing his shoulder as the force of the shot spun him around he hit the dirt and grunted. Dropping to his knee and grabbing his gun, Booth looked up the hill and tried to see anything. He and Curtis both were scanning the dark wooded hillside frantically as Danni and Mal and Doug all tried to get the horses calmed down. "What was that?" Roxie yelled hysterically up the hill. "Hold on Bones," Booth said quietly, "Seems' like we've got some company." He looked over at Jake and growled, "Where's Jesse?"

Jake looked at Jayson and then at the agents holding their guns towards the hill, "Jesse took off after he shot at Roxie, we were more worried about her and Clay then him." He was cut off as there was a rattle of pine needles, gravel and small cones that rolled down as Jesse shifted position. Knowing now a little more where he was Curtis clucked his tongue at Booth, "I'm gonna go up and get him."

Booth acknowledged the other agent and said, "Be careful, try not to get shot."

Curtis nodded, checked the clip in his gun and headed up the hill, "I can see you a lot better than you can see me boys, I wouldn't try anything too crazy, don't want that pretty lady and little boy to get hurt anymore than they already are." Jesses' voice drifted down the hill. "Just keep talking dipshit," Booth said threateningly, "That's all we'll need to find you."

"That's pretty bold talk for a washed up clown and some rodeo cowboys past their prime!" Jesse responded and his voice sounded a little further away. Booth was doing his best to track him, while he indicated that the rest of them should continue with the travois and possible rescue.

"C'mon Jesse this is pretty cliché don't you think?" Booth hollered up, "I mean the bad guy in the black hat routine has been done before, why don't you just stop talking and try to get away?" he was trying to buy Curtis some time and also try to get him to shoot again, seeing the muzzle flash would make it easier to locate him.

"Oh don't worry, this ain't never been done before Clown boy." Jesse yelled right before he fired off another shot. Booth didn't hesitate; he fired back in the direction of the blast. Looking over his shoulder at the rescue operation, he hoped his shot at least rattled Jesse somewhat and that it helped rather than hindered Curtis.

Lowering the makeshift sled down to Roxie they all tried to stay positive that this would work. Once it was down to her level she let them know to give her a little slack so she could pull it over next to Clay. "Are there any blankets you guys can send down too?" She asked, shining the flashlight up the hill. Danni leaned over, "Here Roxie," She said dropping the saddle roll she always carried down. It hit a stump and veered to the side; Roxie lunged for it and felt it almost tumble down the rest of the hill before she was able to grip it with her thumb and finger. Lying outstretched, her arm and upper body hanging over the small outcropping and her heart pounding in her chest, she lay still. "Oh my god, I'm sorry Roxie, are you okay?" Danni hollered, pressing her hand to her mouth as her flashlight illuminated her friends' predicament. Booth looked back over his shoulder and then moved to the edge of the hill, grimacing at her barely staying on the outcropping he said without thinking, "You're not getting out of our talk that easily Bones, be careful."

Bones shifted backwards carefully pulling the blanket to her chest and then moving back towards Clay and the sled. She stood the sled next to him and carefully and slowly pulled his legs until they were both stretched out side by side. She kept her hand on his lower back the whole time and hoped that she wasn't causing more damage. Everything in her made her decision to move him a bad idea, but she had no other choices. Once she thought that he was as straight as it was safe to make him, she tipped the sled up on its side and then pulled it over him. Using it like a spatula, she flipped the two of them over, so that he was now laying on his back, and she checked his pulse again, slow but steady. His mouth twitched slightly, but other than that there was no change. Sighing audibly she pulled the blanket over him and using the extra bit of rope attached to a trigger guard tied him onto the sled. "Okay, bring him up!" She yelled, and for the first time that she could recall, praying that he made it okay. The men begin slowly pulling him up as Danni once again made sure the horses were out of the way.

Booth was still crouching, scanning the hillside when Curtis yelled out in pain, there was some sounds of fighting, grunting and crashing as the two of them rolled down the hill about thirty yards from where Booth and the others were. Rushing over there, keeping his gun drawn, Booth was almost too late. Jesse stood and pulled his pistol out and was preparing to fire on Curtis when Booth made a running leap and channeling his high school playing days tackled Jesse. The two of them hit the ground hard, but Booth was the first one up, planting his foot against the back of Jesse's neck he said, "I told you not to fuck with me Jesse." Curtis came over, wiping his bloody lip with one hand and the back of his neck with the other, "Give me the gun Booth, I'll cover him while you go back to the rest of them." Eyeing the younger agent but trusting him, Booth removed his foot and handed him the gun, and then turned and trotted back to where the rest of them had just about brought Clay up and over the lip of the ravine.

Once Clay was up and over, Mal and Danni moved to check him over as best they could. Handing the reins of the multiple horses over to Dough, Danni also checked on Dirk, who had moved over to sit down on a fallen log. "How's your shoulder kid?" She asked him, shining the light on his face, "Hurts like a bitch Danni, but it's not the first time I've been shot, just help that kid okay?" She pushed a bit of his hair back from his face and leaned in and kissed his cheek. Doug questioned Booth as he came over, "You get that son of a bitch Tony?"

"Yeah Doug, Curtis has got him under control right now, let's get Roxie up here and then figure out how to get back to camp okay?" He clapped him on the shoulder and turned towards the group. Jayson looked over his shoulder towards where Curtis had Jesse in cuffs and was holding him at gunpoint. He started to move towards them when Jake grabbed his arm, "Jayson, hold on man, let's get Roxie up here first, there's no time right now for this." Jayson looked through his friend at first and then slowly began to refocus, _he's right_, he thought, _there's plenty of time to kill Jesse later. _


	54. Chapter 50

BOAB CH50

They looped a couple of ropes around the makeshift travois and began to hook it up to Gunn and after conferring briefly they all started off down the trail to bring Clay closer to the much needed medical attention he needed. When it was just Danni, Booth and Dirk, Booth lay on his stomach and looked over the edge. "Bones, you alright babe?" He asked hoping that the shaking in his hands would go away before she saw it and commented. "I'm fine Booth and don't call me Babe, just get me out of here okay?" The indignation in her voice at the pet name he could handle, it was the worry that scared him. He stood up and asked the other two what the next step was. "We still have a rope, we could just tie it off to one of the horses and pull her up slowly, and she could walk most of it as long as she held on." Danni offered. Looking around Booth realized the only mount there that would have the strength to do it would be Wrath. Unfortunately, he was also the least predictable. Walking over to him, he took the big horses' head in his hands and spoke quietly, "Okay big man, it's up to you, you gotta bring her up and you gotta do it carefully, ready for that?" The horse stared into his brown eyes, intelligence and determination reflected back. Snorting softly he seemed to understand the agent holding his head and almost nodded his response. Danni carefully brought the remaining rope over and they tied it off. With her flashlight shining on Wrath and Booth and Dirk holding the other end of the rope towards Brennan, they explained to her when she had it in her hands to loop it around her waist and then tug when she was ready. Bones took the rope and tied it off, pulling and then saying, "Okay Wrath, I'm ready buddy, come on now." With her words and Booth's gentle encouragement, the big horse began to slowly walk down the trail, hesitant yet firmly picking his footing while Bones held onto the rope and got to her feet along the hill. After what seemed like hours, but was closer to minutes, she reached the edge. Booth sighed a deep breath of relief and held Wrath steady as Dirk helped her to untie the rope from her waist.

He walked Wrath back to her and was surprised when she launched into his arms, "Oh Booth, I've never been so scared," she sobbed into his neck, "Thank you." Holding her close he simply sighed again knowing that no matter what else happened, she was safe and as long as he'd had the chance to hold her, he'd take that for whatever it was worth.

"Alright you two, make out later, for now, let's find the rest of them." Danni said swinging into the saddle after making sure that Dirk was able to get into his. Booth and Bones disentangled themselves and he asked, "Think Wrath will let me ride behind you? I mean, Gunn is with Clay and I don't really want to walk." Looking at the young horse, who seemed to have matured greatly in the last hour Bones said, "I'm sure you'll be fine Tony, mount up cowboy." Smiling, he grabbed the horn and swung himself up, nestling her securely against his frame as they began to follow the rest of them down the trail.

Once they made the clearing, Booth was pleased to see that Agent One and Two had made themselves invaluable, the open space was crawling with agents and everyone was heading back down the hill in an orderly fashion. Pulling up Wrath and dismounting Bones went over to Agent One and asked, "Where's the boy?"

After finishing his radio conversation he looked at the doctor and said, "He's already most of the way down the hill, he went down on a four wheeler, we've got an ambulance waiting for him in the parking area, why don't you and Agent Booth start down as well. They've lit the way with lamps every 20 or 30 yards or so, we'll clean this up and meet at the hospital." Nodding her agreement to the agent, she went first to wear Carrie and Danni we're still standing with Jayson and Dirk. "The agent says we can head down, they'll finish this up, is Steff with Clay?"

Carrie nodded and taking Jayson's hand, said, "Yes, as soon as they pulled him off the travois, she and two others went down with him. Curtis and another agent took Jesse off the hill too." The friends looked around the clearing and at each other, each wondering different things about the same predicament. Slowly they all mounted their horses and made their way down to the parking area. After riding for a couple of hours, they made their way down and carefully dismounted, stretching to work the kinks out. They'd ridden harder down the hill, and in the dark it had been less fun and more like work. Plus, the adrenaline from the rescue and ensuing gun fight had begun to wane and now fatigue was catching them all.

Curtis and Booth found a group of agents and went over to get some details about where everyone was. They were told that Clay and Steff were already at the hospital and that on initial inspection Clay didn't appear to have a spinal injury but had been rushed into surgery on his leg and to stop the bleeding from an internal injury. Taking that information back to the rest of the gang, they explained that there were agents available to take everyone to the hospital and that Booth and Curtis had to go to the local police department office to get their statements from Jesse. As it turned out, as soon as he was off the hill and reality began to set in, he'd started talking and hadn't stopped. He had ratted out Chuck and Tug and was dropping some pretty big names in a well known drug cartel in the Pacific Northwest. Booth said, "We'll meet you all at the hospital after we're done, Dirk, there's another ambulance standing by to take you." Dirk waived him off, "I'll get it looked at when I get there, I've been shot before and this isn't that bad really." Danni cocked her eyebrow and shook her head, "Always the stubborn one, Dirk, wonder where you get that from?" Carrie snorted, "Well, if you feel up to it brother dear, let's get these horses loaded up and get on down to the hospital, Roxie why don't you ride down with the agents, we'll bring the truck and your ponies with us."

Bones looked at her friends and knew that they were just trying to cope with the aftermath and as much as she wanted to be with Booth right now, she had to take care of her own first. "That's okay, I trust Booth to do this part of the case himself, I'll get my horses loaded and meet you all there." Booth came over and put his hand on her waist, "Are you okay Bones?" He asked, concern shining in his eyes. She looked up at him and said, "I'm fine Booth, I just need some time to adjust okay? I'll see you later and we can talk." He eyes were clear and filled with multiple emotions as she conveyed so much more to him than her words. Kissing her on the forehead, he took her hand and said softly, "Okay Bones, I'll see you later." She turned and with Carrie and Dirk, she began the process of loading up the horses and gear. Danni watched them and then turned back to Curtis, who was shaking Booth's hand. She marched over to him and slapped him across the cheek, his head snapped back and her hand on his cheek sounded like a whip crack. "OW Dammit Danni! What the hell was that for?" He asked, rubbing the red spot on his face with his hand, "That was for not telling me that you were a cop!" She said, "And this," She reached up and placed a gentle kiss on his mouth, "This is for making me fall in love with you." Standing back down in front of him, she was shocked at her own brashness, this whole time she thought she was destined to end up alone, but in the short time since they'd met, something apparently had other idea's because watching him fight Jesse and almost get shot made her heart clench in fear at the thought of losing him and she decided it was better to tell him then to hold it inside. Curtis put his hands on her shoulders and leaned down and kissed her back, slowly and gently at first and then with more passion and force, stopping briefly he whispered against her mouth, "After a kiss like that I'll never hold anything back, I'll tell you who killed Kennedy, where the aliens landed, anything you want to know." She laughed and hugged him tight, "I'll see you at the hospital Agent Conway." She said as she walked over to where her horse was and began to lead him over to the trailers.

Booth whistled and grinned and Curtis said, "Shut up Agent Booth, we've all seen the way you and the good doctor have been behaving." The two of them walked over to an idling SUV waiting to take them to the station and Booth realized what he'd said, "What do you mean 'the good doctor'?" He asked.

"Dr. Temperance Brennan, the anthropologist that writes mystery novels, you know, Roxie?" Curtis responded climbing into the cab. "How did you know who she was?" Booth asked, getting behind the wheel. "Well, this is just a stab in the dark, but unlike the rest of the cowboys around here, I do read occasionally and her picture is on the book jacket of her latest book, in fact, it's the book I've been reading when I had downtime." He smiled and leaned back in the seat, "Your girlfriend is pretty famous cowboy, think you can handle it?" he teased. Pulling out of the parking lot and spinning the wheels slightly in the gravel Booth responded, "Nope, she's harder to handle than a greased pig." He winked at Agent Conway and after a moment of silence both men began to laugh as Booth drove them down the highway and to the last phase of their operation. Looking at the sun as it began to peek over the hills and bathe the small valley in its glow Booth said, "Think this place is ever going to be the same, after all of this?" Curtis looked out his window, the trees whizzing by turning into a grey green blur, "I think there were a lot of skeletons in a lot of closets here and it's going to be a whole new town when they all get explained." He paused, and then continued, "I think though, that I'm going to put in for a transfer, I could get used to the smell of wet pine needles, horse shit and stale beer." Chuckling at the mental image that conjured up, the two of them continued to the station house in silence.

~Fin~


	55. Epilogue

BOAB EPILOGUE

Brennan sat on the wooden bleachers with Danni, Carrie and Mal watching the flags snapping as the riders carrying them made their horses go faster and faster around the arena. Just when it seemed that a collision was imminent each horse stopped in unison and on the proverbial dime, the Star Spangled Banner began to waft from the large triangular shaped speakers around the edges of the arena, quiet at first and then as the crowd joined in, the sound of a thousand voices in unison raised the music to the rafters. A lone rider entered from the far side of the dirt packed arena and riding sedately, presented the American flag to the crowd, the riders' eyes firmly on the end chute and her horse stepping with pride. As the last note echoed around the stands and settled into the night air a large whoop of encouragement, fueled by love of country and a lot of beer erupted from the still standing crowd, the riders began to file out one by one until only the bearer of the red, white and blue was left. She handed the flag to a small cowboy who'd run to the middle of the arena and in turn took a microphone.

Pausing briefly to wipe her eyes, Brennan sat with the rest of the crowd and focused on the lone figure. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you all for being here today for the opening ceremonies." The woman began to speak, the crowd cheering and clapping momentarily drowning her, she waited patiently, letting them calm down on their own. Once it was semi quiet again, she continued, "For those of you who don't know me, my name is Stefanie Tyler." There was a brief hush as the people who actually knew her realized that was the first time that Stefanie had acknowledged publicly that she was one of the Tylers. Those Tylers, the rodeo gods. "My son Clayton was injured yesterday and is currently in serious condition at the hospital. I want to thank each and every one of you that was involved with his rescue. Without your quick thinking and reactions he'd," she paused to catch her breath, "He would have died. So thank you. I'm sure you are all wondering why I'm here if he's there. I'll tell you. I wasn't born here, I came here when I was very young and my family quickly fell in love with this area. My sister and I were very involved in the rodeo circuit at one time and even though we both left, we knew that this was our home and we both came back. However, it's true what is said, you can't always go home again and I had to learn that the hard way. I know that there are some of you who know what happened on the mountain yesterday, still more of you who think you know, and a good majority of you that have no idea what I'm talking about. All I can say, is the people that were there are the closest things to angels on earth there is and my family and I will always be grateful to them. I'm here today to fulfill a promise I made my son. I told him I'd tell everyone he is my son and that I love him and although I wasn't slated to make an appearance in this show and haven't done so for years, I knew that by coming here and presenting the flag and talking to all of you, I'd be able to make his dream of being a rodeo cowboy become a little clearer. You see, his dad is Jayson Keller." Another hush, this one much louder and longer greeted her statement.

Whispers of the name Keller drifted amongst the spectators. "Jayson is here today and he will be competing, he will be competing for the last time. He wanted me to tell everyone that without the love, support and encouragement this community has provided him over the years, he never would have made it as far as he did and although the next few weeks will be difficult, he wants you to know that he is home to stay, and he will do whatever necessary to regain that trust and support." She turned her horse to face the other side of the arena and resumed speaking, "There are three people that were instrumental in the rescue of my son, two of them are federal agents who were here initially under false pretenses, but now it seems they were meant to be here all along. These two men spent countless hours on horseback and on their feet learning to be a part of the rodeo scene, taking what usually amounts to years of training and cramming it into a few weeks time. Tonight, we welcome them and invite them to perform for you, Tony Scallion and Curtis Conway!" Along with her introduction a spotlight highlighted the two of them as they entered the arena from the opposite side, Gunn and Honey contrasting nicely as the two of them in full clown regalia waved to the crowd. Speaking out of the side of his mouth Booth said, "I'm going to kill someone for this."

Snorting Curtis responded, "Have fun with it, next week we're back to black suits and ugly ties."

The two men circled the stands and then came to stop next to Stefanie, "The third person to help is Dr. Temperance Brennan of the Jeffersonian in Washington DC. Dr. Brennan was invaluable in her assistance and I know that without her being with my son he almost surely would have died, scared and alone. Dr. Brennan, I know you didn't want to be acknowledged publicly, and I will respect your anonymity." Mal leaned down and whispered into her ear, "I didn't make any promises Doc." Brennan turned and smiled at him, "Tell anyone _Doc_ and I'll make sure that Cordelia knows exactly how you feel about her, as will everyone in the tri county area." Coughing and nodding, his face flushed he leaned back and murmured, "You win Roxie."

"I'm going to leave the rest of the announcing up to the talented staff of WCKX radio, and hope that you all enjoy the show, thank you again to my friends," Stefanie paused as she caught the eye of the cowboy leaning on the chute directly across from her, "and to my family." The crowd stood and cheered as the three of them headed out of the arena. The two DJ's from the local station began to introduce the events and sponsors and also reminded the crowd that the main competitions would start the next today, and that tonight were just expeditions and the first go around. They also made sure to mention that drinks would be half price at the Longhorn tonight to all competitors of age and anyone that brought in a ticket stub.

Carrie, Danni and Roxie made their way down to the chutes where they met Stefanie, Jake, Jayson, Tony and Curtis. "That was a real nice speech you made there Steff, it was a good thing that you did." Jake said, holding the reins of her horse as she dismounted, "Thank you Jake, I didn't know what I was doing, I just wanted to do something for Clay and I know this is being videotaped, so even if he can't be here, he can be a part of it right?" She hugged the girls individually and took off her hat, her blonde hair tumbling around her shoulders, "I'm going to go back to the hospital, Jake can you get him home?" She nodded at her horse.

"Sure thing Steff, I'll be up there when I can tomorrow, in between events of course." Jake said and Jayson nodded too, "Me too Stefanie, I want to be there for my s s son." Although seriously diminished in just the one day, his stutter was beginning to steal his speech again much to Jayson's chagrin. Stefanie stepped into his embrace and held him tight, "Thank you Jayson, I know we have a lot to talk about and at first I was mad and scared and worried when you showed up, but I'm not now. I know that we'll figure it out." He leaned into the hug and stroked her back. His heart on his sleeve, he wanted nothing more to have the talk that they so desperately needed right then and now, but it was neither the time nor the place. Watching without looking Jake tried to avoid the family scene as best he could, even though a blind man could see his heart was breaking. Stefanie smiled, wiped a tear from her cheek and kissed Jayson on the cheek and then moving to Jake took his hand in hers and said, "Walk me to my truck Jake?" Jake's eyes lit up briefly as he and Stefanie began to walk away, leading her horse between the two of them.

"Well, that's just as muddy as the Mississippi, isn't it?" Danni observed dryly. Jayson watched them walk away and then turning back to his new and old friends alike said, "I d d don't blame her, if she's happy th th that's all I care a ab about." He clapped Booth and Curtis on the shoulder and said, "Come on, C C Cowboy's let's go p p put on a show!" Curtis leaned over and kissed Danni chastely on the cheek, "Going to the 'horn tonight?" He asked.

"Sure am Cowboy, I'll see you there, after I see you _there._" She pointed to the arena and they all laughed, "Well, yeah, um…okay." He said, hitching his belt up slightly and attempting to loosen his collar. "Let's get there Jayson."

Roxie put her hand out on Booth's shoulder and said, "You don't have to so this Booth, I know you hate that make up and attire." He turned and looked down at her, "I'm going to do this Bones because I promised Clay I would and because the only way to get over a fear is to embrace it. You taught me that."

She stepped back and looked at him quizzically, "I did? When did I teach you that?" He reached out and took her hand, pulling her as close as he could without getting white greasepaint on her he leaned in and whispered into her ear, "That first night we made love, I was terrified." Kissing her as soft as a whisper he squeezed her hand and caught up with Curtis and Jayson. She watched him trot off, his ripped jeans bouncing off the back of his legs and flashing his red long johns underneath. Not hearing her name being called, she shook her head when Carrie pinched her, "Earth to Roxie? I know he's dreamy and all that, but you'll get a piece of him tonight I'm sure, so let's go get a beer and a big ole bucket of corn and go watch those two try not to get killed dodging 2000 pounds of pissed off bull okay?" Nodding at her, Roxie, Dannie and Carrie made their way to the concession stand.

~later that evening~

The gang was crowded around five tables that had been drawn together and Curtis and Booth were trying to dodge the multiple questions regarding the arrests. "We can't talk about it, really guys; we can't say anything that might jeopardize the case." Carrie, Danni, Roxie and Jayson all knew what the others didn't.

Chuck was the one that caused the fire in the barn that killed Jax and Stella. He'd been trying to get some of the barrels that he'd stashed in there out before the party Jax woke up and startled him. All the kids were asleep in the barn and Leo had started growling, thinking there was a mouse or rat in the barn, he'd gotten out of his sleeping bag and headed to the back of the barn. Seeing Chuck moving the barrels out of there seemed wrong so he started to ask him what he was doing when Leo charged Chuck, dodging the big dog, Jax tried to grab his collar and Chuck hit him hard, knocking the boy out. Chuck then started the fire to cover his tracks and had hid in the woods until the last of the cops had left, then made his way to the hotel to give his condolences, along with Jesse and the rest of them.

Jesse was the man behind the entire scheme, he made the contacts, and set the delivery routes, and until they'd figured out they could use empty barrels to transport the drugs, they had used horse trailers and just stuck the packages inside large bales of hay. He was the one that killed Elizabeth, she'd gone to the arena to surprise Chuck with lunch and nooner and overheard them talking about using the barrels and their next shipment. He told Chuck that putting her in the barrel would be the best way to get rid of her and that no one would suspect anything.

Things were going along fine when Tug was invited to join them since he owned his own tractor and could haul the flatbed trailers for less than a shipping company. Eventually, it got too risky for him to use his own truck, but he stayed with them because the money was amazing and he was able to buy his wife anything and everything she'd ever wanted. More than anything, he just wanted her to stay by his side and he thought that jewelry and fancy trips and clothes was the way to keep her there.

Once they'd discouraged the questions, they were able to talk amongst themselves a little more freely, "So what is the plan now Tony?" Carrie asked, absently stirring her drink with the plastic swizzle stick she'd swiped from the barmaid. "Well, my plan is to check out of the roach motel as quickly as I can, and then get back to DC. Once I get this case settled, I'm going to take a very long vacation."

"What's a matter, you don't like it here?" Danni asked, her eyebrow raised.

"Don't get me wrong, I like it here a lot, I like you all and aside from all the makeup and baggy clothes, gun fights and snot throwing beasts of burden, I've had a decent time here, I'm just not sure that it's where I want to vacation."

Brennan spoke up almost too quietly to hear, "I like it here."

They all looked at her and she took a drink of her beer, "I like working for Mal, and you girls are just wonderful and the closest thing to real friends I've had in a very long time, I love the weather, the smells, the horses, everything about this place makes me feel safe." Booth turned fully in his seat and looked at her, she didn't appear drunk, but nothing that she'd just said was typical Brennan. "Really Bones?" He asked. She took his hand and stood up, "Let's dance Booth." Tipping his beer back he settled his hat a little firmer on his head and nodded to the rest of them, "Okay Bones, let's dance."

Following her to the dance floor, they both began to sway slowly to the Rascal Flatts love song the band was currently crooning, Booth leaned in and whispered in her ear, "We still have to talk you know Bones."

She smiled into his neck and whispered back, "Why do you think I asked you to dance Cowboy?" Stepping back slightly he looked down at her and twirled her around, "Are you drunk Bones?"

"No, why would you ask that?" She questioned him.

"I just want an honest conversation uninhibited by booze, and you're not acting like yourself." She smiled at him, "You know, I don't feel like myself. Ever since we've been here, I've felt myself slipping away. I've been taking things I normally wouldn't for granted, and I've been questioning things I've never questioned before."

"Like what Bones?" He asked, huskily, pulling her closer into his embrace.

"When I was on that ledge with that little boy, I knew that you were going to save us. I just knew it. I find that I was disturbed by that, because I had no tangible evidence or proof that you would, but for some reason, I had faith that you would. When I heard your voice, I just knew that no matter what I was safe. I realized right then and there that I couldn't explain everything with science, no matter how much I rationalized to myself or you or Angela, I wasn't able to explain my faith in you. I know now that I love you Booth."

He was stunned by her admission, both by the words, and by the fervor at which she spoke, "You love me?"

"I do, I love you and I trust you and I have faith in you and although love is intangible and what I thought was body chemistry and hormones, I know now that it's more. It's a touch, a word, it's a feeling, it's a scent, it's a memory, it's everything and anything. I love you Booth. I don't know what that means for us, our jobs, our friends; I just know that right now I love you. I also learned from Stef and Jayson, there were so many lies and half truths and misunderstandings, I don't want that. I want to be honest with you and I want to start now." She leaned up and captured his mouth with hers, a soft gentle no pressure kiss. He responded and whispered against her mouth, "I love you too Bones, always have."

Neither of them noticed the music had stopped and they were the only ones on the dance floor, lost in each other, they jumped slightly when someone yelled, "Get a room!"

Both of them flushed slightly when Booth leaned down and said, "How about it? I've got a room already?" The two of them walked off the floor towards their Wyoming friends, hands on each other's hips, "I've got a lot of rooms Booth, why don't we go back to my place?" She said.

"Well, your place for another day or so anyway," He said, "We leave on Wednesday, remember?" Grabbing his coat, he stopped with both arms extended and stared at her when she responded, "Actually, I bought it, the house, the land, and I'm staying here for a little bit longer." Slowly, Booth put his arms down and stepped closer to her, "Why did you buy it? Are you not coming back to DC?" He was panicked; they'd taken one step forward and now seemed to be taking two steps back.

"Don't worry Booth, I'm coming back to DC, I'm just not flying back, I'm driving and I'm going to be here for a couple of weeks or so."

"Driving? Why are you driving?"

"How else will I get the horses back to DC? I can't very well declare them as carry on with the airlines."

"Not with the fees they charge!" Danni said, clearly eavesdropping on their conversation.

She and Carrie, Dirk and Curtis were watching the two of them talk as avidly as fans of Wimbledon watched the Williams sisters.

"You bought the horses too?" He asked one arm in the coat and the other bereft of its warmth. "All three of them?"

"Four." She responded, pulling out her lip gloss and swiping her lips, also a very un- Brennan like thing to do.

"Four?" He gulped.

"Yes, I bought Gunn too, the FBI wasn't happy about it, but I really don't care what they are happy with, I've got plenty of money, so it wasn't a problem. I figured you'd want to ride him, or at least Parker might like to."

"Who is Parker?" Carrie and Danni asked in unison.

"My son." "His son." Booth and Brennan answered them both.

"Whoah, hold on, he has a son?"

Shaking his hand at them as if to tell them to focus on the current issue, he turned back to Brennan, "Where are you going to keep four horses?"

"Three."

"What? You just said you bought four of them." He sat down, not sure that this conversation was even real, but sure that he wanted to be seated for the remainder of it.

"I did, I'm giving Charcoal to Clay. He needs a horse now that he doesn't have Scoot. I also made sure that one of Mal's pups goes to him, when he gets out of the hospital. A boy needs a dog." Booth shook his head and just stared at her, unsure who this woman was and what she'd done with the predictable and rational scientist she looked like. Curtis handed him another ice cold beer which he accepted gratefully. "Is there anything else I should know about?" he asked.

"No, I'm sure anything else that comes up we can talk about at my place. You ready?"

"I thought I was." He mumbled under his breath, chugging the rest of the beer, he stood and finally got his arm through the hanging arm of his coat. "Good night." He tipped his hat to the rest of them and they all laughed and waved them off. Trailing after her, he wondered what other surprises she had in store for him.

As they exited the bar, a tall, slender cowboy began to enter, and then paused to hold open the door. "Thanks Man." Seeley said as they walked through the doorway. "No problem buddy." He said. Taking his time inside the entrance to allow his eyes to adjust to the dim light and smoke filled room he finally saw the table of people he was looking for. Meandering through the tables, single women all looked at the new man and wondered if he was available. Dark hair and eyes, dark stubble on his face, he was clearly an actual cowboy if the way his Wranglers fit were any indication. Her back to the dance floor and his approach, she was surprised to feel the tap on her shoulder, turning at her name she sat and stared, her mouth open in shock, "Carrie, would you like to dance?" he drawled.

"Tommy?" She recovered quickly.

"The one and only."

"Oh my GOD! What are you doing here?" She shrieked, jumping up and into the arms of her Canadian Cowboy. "I'm here for the rodeo darlin' and for however long you'll have me."

Shrieking again she covered his face in kisses and Dirk and Danni tipped their bottles together, "Well Dirk, looks like you're the only one left now." She said, as she and Curtis stood to go to the dance floor, "Well, don't you worry your pretty little self about me Danni; I've got plenty of options available." He said, smiling at her and then tipping his bottle at the young waitress currently behind the bar, "Plenty of options." He repeated again under his breath.

Brennan followed Booth to the hotel, where she helped him load up his belongings and then his horse, leaving the key in the drop box, he looked back at the hotel and said, "It's sick, but I'm going to miss this place." She looked back with him and then as he got into his truck to follow her to the cabin, she said "Don't worry Booth, you'll be back, maybe you could bring Parker out? I'm sure that he and Clay and Conner would get along very well. You could even stay here if you wanted to, that would be like an adventure to Parker." She smirked at the horrified expression on his face, "No thanks, I'll just stay at your place, thank you very much." He responded.

She leaned into the interior of the truck and kissed him, "Well, why don't you follow me to my place now Cowboy?" Kissing her back, their mouths and tongues both fighting for dominance, both eager to begin a night of passion, slowly they broke off the kiss and raggedly he agreed, "Okay Bones, I'm right behind you."

She walked away and got into her truck, it started easily with a powerful roar and she pulled out of the driveway and onto the road. Reaching down, he turned the key in the ignition with no response, trying it again; nothing greeted his efforts but the grinding of a dead battery. Leaning his head back against the seat, he fought the urge to shoot the truck through the fire wall, instead he dialed her phone.

"Booth?" She asked with a kitten like purr, "Miss me already?"

"Bones, my truck won't start, will you come and get me?" he pouted, embarrassed that the FBI would give him such a POS and once again she was the one he relied on to get him out of the situation.

Silence greeted his response almost too much silence, "Bones?"

Finally she giggled into the phone, "Sure Cowboy, I'll be there in a few minutes, but if I do, you have to do something for me okay?"

Thinking it was going to be something sexy he growled back, "Anything baby, anything."

"You still got the clown pants?" She asked.

**Thank you all for sticking with it. It sure didn't flow as easily as other stories have for me, and for that I apologize. I hope it ended well enough for you Constant Reader. I'm on a BONES hiatus for now. Not sure when I'll return, until then though I'll be in Charming and sunny LA should you want to read more of my drivel or I'll be catching up on my reading of the hundreds of talented FF writers out there that I've been introduced to since starting this very fun and rewarding hobby. Thanks again and always remember, **_**in the absence of light, darkness prevails.**_

**MKAngelus **

**Live Fast. Die Never.**

**Follow me on twitter MKAngelus**


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